Last night I attended to a special preview screening of TED (www.tedisreal.com). I must say the eXtremescreen at the Hoyts Cinema was amazing, and the sound to boot! Purchasing tickets online was fairly painless (although there was a small handling fee) and instead of waiting in line there was an "Express" lane that allowed you to pick up your tickets immediately.
From the iTunes information for the TED app:"Creator Seth MacFarlane (Family Guy) brings his boundary-pushing brand of humour to the big screen for the first time as writer, director and voice star of Ted. In the live action/CG-animated comedy, he tells the story of John Bennett (Mark Wahlberg), a grown man who must deal with the cherished teddy bear who came to life as the result of a childhood wish…and has refused to leave his side ever since."
This movie deservedly has an "MA" (15+) rating due to liberal use of bad language, sexual references and illicit drug usage. That said, it also has a 'touchy-feely' plot worthy of any 'chick flick'. Boy in dead-end job has been going out with stunning hot girl (Lori - Mila Kunis) for four years; boy is conflicted between his love for Lori and his love for Ted; boy is often 'sucked in' by Ted and his dubious lifestyle choices; Ted is forced to move out; Ted gets a job and a girlfriend; boy loses girl (who is being pursued by her rich boss); creepy father and son Donny and Robert (Giovanni Ribisi and Aedin Mincks) bear-nap Ted; boy loses Ted, boy and girl rescue a mortally injured Ted; boy gets girl back and together they (unsuccessfully) try to save Ted; girl wishes Ted back to life; boy proposes to girl and they all live happily ever after.
The key cast members do a very good job, and there are delightful cameo appearances by the original Flash Gordon (Sam J. Jones) and Norah Jones as well as Tom Skerritt. Patrick Stewart (of Star Trek fame) as narrator breaks out of his gentlemanly mould and delivers the sometimes blue script with aplomb. The CGI is pretty amazing, and at times you find yourself forgetting that the bear is digitally created. As with Family Guy, there are sci-fi and popular culture references and social commentary (including being "gay-friendly"), and some fairly perverse outcomes - the worse that Ted behaves at work the more he gets promoted!
If you don't like bad language, sex and drugs, this is not a movie for you. However, if you are broad-minded, you are likely to appreciate the humour and feel the occasional tug on your heart-strings as the plot plays itself out. The horror sub-plot is truly creepy (Ted loses an ear and then gets torn in half) and generates a marvellous car chase worthy of any action-adventure movie.
I could have done with less of the bad language etcetera, but it was funny and I did enjoy it. If you take it for what it is - a bit of an 'over the top' reflection on boys behaving badly, redemption through true love and for Donny and Robert (as the Rolling Stones famously sang) "you can't always get what you want", you might just find it an entertaining interlude.
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