At 8 years old, John didn’t have any friends among the Boston kids. Then his parents gave him a teddy bear named Ted, and a miracle happened. One night, he fell asleep with the toy and woke up to find Ted alive and talking, becoming his friend, brother, and even a TV star. Now, John is 35, living with the beautiful Lori, while Ted, who has turned into a pothead, drunkard, and womanizer, seriously threatens his personal happiness.
The title chosen for localization has already been used for two American and one Russian film on Russian screens. Despite this, all fans of “Family Guy” and “American Dad!” know that a film with such a title, perfect for a seasonal romantic comedy, is a must-see. “Ted” marks the directorial debut of Seth MacFarlane, the creator of the aforementioned animated series. This is an attraction in itself: how will a person who built his career on absurdization and mockery of linear storytelling cope with a large (budget of $50 million) Hollywood project, and will he be able to make the stars go crazy in the right direction?
MacFarlane’s Directorial Debut: A Balancing Act
The answer to this question is more complex than it seems. On one hand, the signature flashbacks and forays into parallel layers of pop culture had to be largely abandoned. Where a TV viewer would happily examine the colorful pieces of a shattered plot, a typical multiplex visitor might demand their money back. We still allow very few people to make fools of us – perhaps only David Lynch and, maybe, occasionally Richard Kelly. For this reason, MacFarlane’s film develops according to all the laws of a coming-of-age romantic comedy and seemingly demonstratively observes the proprieties that fans of schizophrenic animation are unlikely to be thrilled with.
A Fresh Take on a Familiar Genre
On the other hand, the director, making a real genre film, managed to refresh it considerably. Yes, you can name a lot of films about how an old slacker friend prevents you from building a relationship, but in this case, it’s not even a Carlson, but a real, damn, teddy bear, swearing in a smoky bass voice. Ted, by the way, is in himself a separate and absolute victory for the authors: firstly, he is brilliantly developed in terms of character development, and secondly, he looks really alive thanks to motion capture technology. But in addition to this, MacFarlane gives the viewer many rare joys: the dialogue of a bear getting a job in a suit (as if spied on in “Aqua Teen Hunger Force”), the brilliant appearance of “Community” star Joel McHale, and finally, the return to the big screen of the legendary “Flash Gordon” Sam Jones as himself.
Growing Up with Ted
Surely there will be fans who don’t like that their favorite author no longer operates with plots running in several directions at once, like a schizophrenic squirrel. But there is a more understandable explanation for this besides the offensive “sold out.” When MacFarlane started “Family Guy,” he was 26; now he is 39, and this is exactly the age when it’s time to show your favorite toys their true place.
And, in the end, finding out that a person who everyone thought was a witty madman is actually capable of telling a story about the love of Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis, and a teddy bear is a pleasure that is not indisputable, but much stronger than it might seem at first glance.