IR Film Review: TED 2 [Universal]

ted2

The problem when recreating a cultural hit is trying to do it again. It hardly ever works, especially with the best intentions. With the first "Ted", the idea of a foul-mouthed talking bear was new because it worked as that joke. However, unlike "Family Guy" you need diversity. The problem with this type of film is narrative structure. It can't simply be a collection of vignettes. This is how "Ted 2" starts off and for the first 20 minutes or so, it works. Ted is trying to have a kid. But McFarlane got sentimental and made it into a search for identity. I am all for these kind of existential journeys but that is not what this picture needs to be. We want to see Ted have his best friend's son and watch the shenanigans. Instead, we get a bit of a replay or "Law & Order". Now granted, they make fun of that too but watching Ted as a partial courtroom drama just doesn't feel exceptional or particularly well thought out. When stage action progresses to a comic con, it just feels like lazy storytelling. McFarlane by extension seemed much more engaged by "A MIllion Ways To Die In The West" because it was a new sandbox to play in but the reception of that didn't go over well. Plus the goodwill or Mark Wahlberg's character splitting up with Mila Kunis is done extremely haphazardly. There was so much great opportunity for Meg insults that fans would have loved and Mila, even with her busy schedule, would have possibly been up for it. Instead we get Amanda Seyfried as a stoner lawyer working pro bono. She is not bad mind you but the progression just feels slightly off. Eventually the resolution comes in a way to where it needed to be in the first place without the shenanigans inherent. It just seems that that might have been a more fun ride.D+