Film Review: "Ted 2" (2015).

The tagline of the film reads "Ted is coming, again", and that is the case for Ted 2. This comedy film directed by Seth MacFarlane and written by MacFarlane, Alec Sulkin, and Wellesley Wild. It is a sequel to the 2012 film Ted. The film follows Newlywed couple Ted and Tami-Lynn who want to have a baby, but in order to qualify to be a parent, Ted will have to prove he's a person in a court of law.

During the 2012 American Dad! Comic-Con panel, MacFarlane stated that he would be open to a sequel to Ted. In September 2012, chief executive Steve Burke said that the studio would be looking to make a sequel to Ted "as soon as possible". In January 2013, on Anderson Live, Wahlberg confirmed that a sequel was in the works and that it would be the first sequel in his career, while also revealing that he and Ted would appear at the 85th Academy Awards. On October 2, 2013, it was announced Ted 2 would be released on June 26, 2015. On February 14, 2014, Amanda Seyfried was cast as the female lead. On June 17, 2014, Jessica Barth was confirmed to reprise her role as Tami-Lynn. In August and September of 2014, it was announced that Patrick Warburton would return, and that Morgan Freeman, Nana Visitor, Michael Dorn, Dennis Haysbert, Liam Neeson and John Slattery had joined the cast. Principal photography began on July 28, 2014, and ended on November 13, 2014.

The film stars Mark Wahlberg and MacFarlane as the title character, both reprising their roles from the original film. As well as Amanda Seyfried, Jessica Barth, Giovanni Ribisi and Morgan Freeman. The cast gave hilarious performances that made me crack up laughing in the theater. Despite the absolute hilarity, I felt Wahlberg and MacFarlane's performances were stale and unoriginal in some moments in the film. However, they are still impossible to dislike.

It can't be said that Ted 2 is no better or worse than its predecessor. It's somewhere in between. It dishes up much of the graphic humor and some of the insight that made the first film a hit. But might seem funnier had there been no original. It is amusing but sloppy and overcomplicated at times. However, it's the kind of movie where you start out snickering in spite of yourself, and end up actually admiring the originality that went into creating this thoughtful comedy about civil rights and what exactly defines a person to be a person. Also, the spoofs and parodies all the more make it a genuine pleasure. In the end, the film is a skillful clone of the first film that can't match that one's novelty or excitement. Within the trivial, ingratiating scope of its ambition, though, the sequel is pleasant enough. Less compelling than the first, but fun for fans.

Simon says Ted 2 receives:

Also, see my reviews of A Million Ways to Die in the West and Ted.