Wednesday 1 July 2015

Movie Review: Ted 2


Previous Review: Minions
Next Review: Terminator Genisys


Ted, our adorable foul-mouthed teddy bear is back for another sequel. Unlike its predecessor, the main focus this time has now shifted to Ted instead of John. Our beloved Ted has finally married to his colleague/girlfriend, Tami-Lynn. A few years passed and their marital problems start to surface. So they tried to adopt a baby in an attempt to preserve their relationship. Unfortunately, this idea has gone south and raised some serious problems in the state due to Ted's "uniqueness" - Ted is regarded as a property rather than a person, therefore not entitled to any human civil rights. So here begins his quest to gain back his civil rights as a  'person'. (Yeah, I know, it's ludicrous, but it's film about a teddy bear comes to life, so just accept it)


First and foremost, I have to say that Ted 2 is definitely not better than the first one, but still good on in its own right. The CGI Ted looks realistic and feels real like before. This film is filled with heavy pop culture geek references (Star Wars, LOTR, Hulk, Dragonball, TMNT, Star Trek, Predator, Flash Gordon, Hulk and many more) and numerous cameo appearances as the film's climax takes place in New York Comic Con. As usual, much like its predecessor, the film isn't afraid of saying several offensive black, porn or gay jokes to the audience. There are some laugh-out-loud moments in the film: the scenes where Ted accidentally found John's stash of porn in his computer and their subsequent attempt in destroying it, a chat about what the 'F' in F. Scott Fitzgerald stands for, the happenings during the road trip from Boston to New York, cups of sperms spilled all over John and Ted took a photo of it and post it on Facebook are downright hilarious.


Unfortunately, Mila Kunis' character is no longer in the sequel and her absence is felt in this sequel. Mark Wahlberg's character John Bennett got a divorce six months ago and still unable to move on and find a new girlfriend. (Oh well, sometimes relationship just didn't work as expected, although we all know it's more likely due to other reasons in real life) Amanda Seyfried is a welcome addition and serves as a new love interest for John to move on. She delivered a fine performance by blending in with Ted and John in the film. Giovanni Ribisi's villainous character, Donny is also back again for some nefarious yet foolish plans for Ted.


The film showed some well-made scenes on the real struggles of marriage and the importance of the civil rights and civil liberties in our modern society. But, the true focus and the heart of the film remains on the unusual buddy relationship between John and Ted. Although Ted isn't real, but their relationship feels real. It's more serious than its predecessor due to its civil rights central plot, but there is a story to be told and there are emotions to be felt along the way. It's a fun and entertaining sequel to the 2012 hit. It's still a film worth seeing, especially for those who enjoyed the first film.



Rating Comparisons:
Ted
7.5/10
Ted 2
7/10


Previous Review: Minions
Next Review: Terminator Genisys


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