Movie critic gives ‘Ted’ four out of five stars

Remember that stuffed toy you had as a kid? The one who you used to tell all your secrets to? Well, imagine if that stuffed toy could walk, talk, and even grow old and get stoned with you. If you can imagine that then ... well, you have the story of Ted.

When he was a boy, John Bennett (Mark Wahlberg) received a teddy bear on Christmas, and as result of a special wish that John made one night, that teddy bear, “Ted” (Seth MacFarlane), came to life to be John’s best friend.

Ted becomes known all across the world as a Christmas miracle, only to find out that after so many years no one really cares for him anymore.

Thus, our story begins with John and his girlfriend of four years, Lori Collins (Mila Kunis), who expects John to act more mature and to let go of his longtime irresponsible friend Ted.

Finally, Seth McFarlane (creator of “Family Guy,” “American Dad” and “The Cleveland Show”) stepped out of the cartoon world and directed his first feature-length film. “Ted,” originally designed to be a running TV show, became McFarlane’s first film.

Sitting in the theater, I was very skeptical about how “Ted” would turn out. I found his cartoon humor worked well, and I was wondering how exactly it would flow into a live-action movie, with the exception of the CGI “Ted,” of course.

I was very pleased with the way the film turned out. The best part about the film is how it convinces the audience to believe that Ted is a real live teddy bear who exists in modern day America. McFarlane does a good job having the characters interact with Ted as if he were real. The computer effects for Ted are done masterfully well, and make him actually look like a moving and breathing teddy bear.

Ted’s authenticity works well at bringing the audience into the film. Wahlberg was better than expected, as well. I always find that he is a better comedic actor when he is playing the part in a serious manner — in this case, an immature 30-year-old who is best friends with a teddy bear.

The film features McFarlane’s well-known brand of humor. For those who don’t laugh at “American Dad” or “Family Guy,” this may not be your type of humor. However, I found the film to be hilarious from beginning to end. You can expect plenty of “Family Guy” cameos in the film with some other surprise actors popping up as well.

While amusing and entertaining, “Ted” is also an adult humor film, and audiences should approach it as such. I give “Ted” a very deserving four out of five stars.