Ted 2 (Rated C)
Cast: Seth MacFarlane, Mark Wahlberg, Amanda Seyfried
Genre: Comedy
Dwight's rating:
The shiny halo that had been glowing around Seth MacFarlane is fading, and fast!
In some circles, MacFarlane has been seen as the new prince of comedy -- the heir apparent to prolific, legendary TV and movie producer-screenwriters like James L. Brooks ("The Mary Tyler Moore Show", "Taxi", "The Simpsons", "Terms of Endearment") and Mel Brooks ("Blazing Saddles", "Young Frankenstein", "The Producers").
Indeed, just over a half-decade ago, MacFarlane seemed on top of the world. His animated TV series "Family Guy" was a water-cooler sensation, and in 2009, became the first animated series since "The Flintstones" in 1961 to be nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award as Outstanding Comedy Series. Not even the illustrious, groundbreaking "The Simpsons" has achieved that feat.
By the end of the last decade, the Fox network had practically handed MacFarlane its entire Sunday comedy lineup, with a block including his "American Dad!" and "The Cleveland Show".
Floating on this high, in 2012, MacFarlane's first motion picture "Ted" hit theaters. This raunchy (downright nasty, actually) comedy was undeniably funny -- a fresh and creative take on the buddy-comedy. It was also a box-office smash! Seth MacFarlane: King of the Hill!
Trouble started, though, with last year's commercially and critically unsuccessful, "A Million Ways to Die in the West". And arguably these days the flagship "Family Guy" is not what is used to be. Plus, "American Dad!" has moved from Fox, a broadcast network, to TBS, a cable network -- hardly ever a good sign for longevity. And mercifully, the deplorable "The Cleveland Show" has been cancelled.
Add to the list of woes "Ted 2".
The sequel picks up where the original leaves off. We find that things have changed for talking teddy bear Ted (MacFarlane) and his best buddy John (Mark Wahlberg). Ted is now married to a human woman, Tami-Lynn, and John is now single, having divorced the character Mila Kunis played in the original (Kunis does not appear in this sequel.)
When Ted and Tami-Lynn decide to adopt a child, the law declares Ted to be property and not a person. Ted and John seek help from a young lawyer (Amanda Seyfried).
"Ted 2" has some funny moments, but it just is not as clever or cute as the original. Of course, it would have been hard to duplicate that freshness, but at times, it feels the creative team wasn't even trying. While the original "Ted" felt like an epic, super-ultimate, live-action production of the best-ever "Family Guy" or "American Dad!" episode (not a bad thing at all), this sequel feels exactly like a mediocre (or just plain weak) episode of either program, or even worse, a regular episode of "The Cleveland Show".
The most dismal part is the lame storyline with Giovanni Ribisi reprising his role as a Ted-obsessed psychopath. Even the occasions of absurdity feel uninspired. The best word to describe it is "lazy".
Again, there are laughs, and often these are deep, hearty belly laughs. But it cannot compare to its unforgettable predecessor, and is just average on its own. Had this been the original, there would likely be no sequel. And thus, this will probably be the end of the franchise, or one can at least hope!
So what does this mean for MacFarlane? He seems like a nice, likable guy. And I think most people are rooting for him to see more success and are hoping he can turn things around and assume his place on that comedy throne. But at this rate, unfortunately, he's looking a lot like a seat warmer.
o Dwight Strachan is the host/producer of " Morning Blend" on Guardian Radio. He is a television producer and writer and an avid TV history and film buff. Email dwight@nasguard.com and follow him on twitter @morningblend969.
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