Most critics find Ted funny, and most of those who call it crass or vulgar say so on the way to recommending it. The praise gathers around Mark Wahlberg as the naive straight man, the easy chemistry between him and the bear, and MacFarlane’s voice work. A number also credit the effects for making Ted sit convincingly in the frame, and the friendship at the centre is called sweet more often than not.
The reservations gather at the end. Review after review says the final act trades jokes for a chase and that the emotional payoff feels thin; wasted supporting characters come up more than once. The spread is wide. Slant finds the comedy mostly flat and its defence of immaturity retrograde, NME says the film belongs on television rather than in a cinema, and The New Yorker calls it mediocre despite its intelligence. Variety stands alone in faulting the bear’s animation as bland.
E
Evening Standard
15 February 2013
90*
The critic finds Ted irresistibly funny and hugely enjoyable, despite a weak late-stage adventure. They single out the talking bear’s cynical, foul-mouthed lines and MacFarlane’s voice performance for praise.
The critic finds the comedy raucously funny and consistently entertaining, while noting that its premise may put off some viewers. He praises the natural banter between John and Ted and the film’s steady stream of unexpected jokes.
Klein gives the film a strongly positive verdict, saying it made him laugh as much as any film that year. He particularly praises the Blu-ray extras, especially the gag reel, deleted scenes, and alternate takes.
The critic calls Ted a crass, supremely silly comedy and a standout of the summer. They praise Mark Wahlberg’s comic performance and the convincing effects that bring Ted to life, while noting that the climax trades laughs for a chase sequence.
Papamichael finds the film vulgar but hilarious, with an endearing emotional core. She praises Ted’s devotion to John and notes the familiar battle over John’s refusal to grow up.
Rabin finds the film charming and funny, though it falters when thriller elements take over near the end. He especially praises the easy, lived-in chemistry between Mark Wahlberg and the talking bear.
Bradshaw finds the comedy unsubtle and crass but very funny. He particularly praises the bizarre exchange about white-trash names and the brutal hotel-room fight.
Edelstein finds Ted a fun, appealingly irreverent comedy, despite its rote shock humor and an uninventive final act. He especially praises Mark Wahlberg as a dopey, innocent straight man and the charm of the bear’s friendship with him.
The accessible page identifies this as Screen’s review of Ted, but its verdict is hidden. No specific praise or complaint is visible in the accessible text.
The review offers a mildly favorable verdict, saying the film is better than The Beaver. The visible text singles out only that comparison, not a specific aspect of the film.
The critic finds Ted consistently funny and unexpectedly sweet, though not a resounding triumph. He praises the likeable buddy dynamic and running gags, while faulting wasted supporting characters and overused emotional music cues.
The review gives the film a three-star rating. The article text is unavailable, so it does not reveal what the critic singled out for praise or complaint.
Debruge finds the film irreverent and sweet but less funny than expected, with an emotional ending that feels hollow. He praises Wahlberg’s work as the naive straight man, while criticizing the bear’s visually bland animation.
Brody finds the film surprisingly mediocre despite its intelligence and sees its ending as a disappointment. He praises the pop-culture subplot, where Ted’s brief fame and later yearning for attention give the absurd premise genuine pathos.
Schager argues that the film’s crude, reference-heavy comedy mostly falls flat and offers little insight into friendship or growing up. He gives some credit to Wahlberg and MacFarlane’s chemistry, but finds the film’s sincere defense of immaturity retrograde.
The review finds the film predictable beneath its racy humour, but calls its storytelling funky and fresh. It especially praises Ted’s twisted comedy and Mark Wahlberg’s charming performance.
Cruz finds the film’s crude comedy refreshes a familiar coming-of-age formula, though its ending is predictable. She especially praises the charm of Ted and the easy chemistry between MacFarlane and Wahlberg.
The critic finds the familiar story easy to forgive because the film is hilarious and heartfelt. He praises the steady, surprising jokes and singles out Joel McHale and Giovanni Ribisi as standouts.
The critic finds the film’s outrageous humor ultimately outweighs its uneven pacing and weaker moments. They praise Mark Wahlberg’s comic performance and the film’s clever, frequently hilarious gross-out humor.
The review finds the film frequently hilarious but weakened by a messy, emotionally thin story. It praises Ted’s phenomenal design and animation for making the bear feel fully integrated into the movie.
Hogan finds the film starts well but becomes unfocused and falls apart as it goes on. He praises its manic energy and a few early laughs, while criticizing the thin concept, abrupt tonal shifts, and wasted supporting cast.
Graham finds the film mildly enjoyable but ultimately unmemorable, with weak plotting and overused, crude humour. He praises the imaginative premise, the bear’s realization and MacFarlane’s vocal performance, while noting that the comedy too often feels derivative.
The critic finds the film underdeveloped and says it is better suited to television than a cinema trip. They praise the cast, especially Giovanni Ribisi’s unsettling comic performance, but fault the film’s stagey presentation and inconsistent jokes.
Ordered by the weight we give each publication, then by score. Scores are normalised to 100; * means inferred from an unrated review. Summaries are ours, not quotations; follow the links for the reviews themselves. How we rate
