By Adam Jeffrey

We live in a time where comedies have become so lazy that ex-comedians can play the same character in 15 unfunny movies and still achieve huge success. Standards are so low that when I first saw the trailer for That’s My Boy starring Adam Sandler I honestly thought it was a parody, much like the fake films in Funny People. In Ted, first time feature-length director Seth MacFarlane (Family Guy) calls out Adam Sandler by name and issues a challenge for the bar to be raised for comedy.

Ted is the story of John Bennet, who was such a lonely child that when he approaches a gang of kids at Christmas, even the Jewish kid being beaten up tells him to “get lost.” John receives a stuffed bear from his parents which he names Ted and promptly wishes the two of them could be best friends forever. His wish comes true and John finds his new toy is alive the next morning. Ted (Seth MacFarlane) quickly rises to fame, appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson in a scene involving some of the film’s most convincing special effects, and plummets back to obscurity just as fast.

At the age of 35 John (Mark Wahlberg) exists in a state of stunted adolescence. He lacks ambition and is content to get stoned every day with Ted who is now a foul-mouthed washed-up nobody. After almost three decades the two remain inseparable. Meanwhile, Lori Collins (Mila Kunis), John’s girlfriend of four years, is becoming increasingly frustrated with John’s attachment to his teddy bear and unwillingness to grow up.

The plot may sound familiar (see I Love You Man for one of the better examples) but the writing on display elevates it to a level above most of its ilk. The strain on John and Lori’s relationship seems more real than many other films that don’t feature soft toys with an enthusiasm for hookers.

Mark Wahlberg’s interaction with Ted is so convincing, you come to accept the CGI bear as a real character and the film works so well because the relationship is played completely straight. John’s parent’s initial reaction to the walking, talking soft toy is hilariously appropriate and Mark Wahlberg plays the straight man to ted’s insanity, never acknowledging how ridiculous the premise may be.

If the showing I attended is any indication, many jokes will be lost on the general audience. However, the gags fly at you so thick and fast, that the entire cinema was still roaring with laughter at regular intervals. While there are constant references to 80s pop culture, and even a civil war joke thrown in for good measure, there are also enough cheap laughs to satisfy the base audience. Movie geeks in particular will enjoy the nods to other films, especially Flash Gordon which is an obsession for the two lead characters.

I was eager to see if MacFarlane could write a script that would sustain a feature length. Knowing that he’s made a TV career out of inconsistent characterisations and cutaway jokes that are irrelevant to the story, I had my doubts. I’m happy to report that with Ted, he succeeds with flying colours. His prolonging of comedic situations is more effective than ever, often building to hilarious payoffs. Ted’s character may be vulgar and offensive to the politically-correct brigade, but overall the movie is quite smart, unexpectedly sweet and highly recommended.