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"TED" Pre-release Discussion

post #1 of 14
6/14/12 at 9:26pm
Thread Starter 

As someone who detests Family Guy on general principle and not at all into the bwall-bustin' tone of Seth MacFarlane's style of humor, this movie came across as mostly mediocre to me.

 

What I liked about the movie was limited to Giovanni Ribisi's minor creepy-spastic performance as a dad who wants to buy Ted for his son.  That and a very special cameo appearance that I don't dare spoil for anyone here should they go see the movie.  Seriously, if you intend to see the movie, stay away from this info.  It was an absolute delight when it happened.

 

Having recently enjoyed Whalberg during a rewatch of I HEART HUCKABEES, I admired how game Whalberg was for TED.  Unfortunately, his character feels mostly relegated to the background despite the fact that his maturation is supposed to be the primary arc of the story.  Ted is obviously the star of the movie and the reason the movie exists.

 

The packed screening crowd ate it up.  Unfortunately, this is one of those movies where my laughter and the audience's laughter were usually at odds.  I also had someone sitting behind me who had a haggish cackle.  Particularly annoying since she laughed at EVERYTHING.

 

The movie has a lot of cute references to 80s pop culture.  Pretty obvious ones, but oh well.

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post #2 of 14
6/15/12 at 7:34am

So basically, it's something we should expect from Seth MacFarlane?

 

I generally hate everything the guy does, too, outside of appearing in Hellboy 2 (well, voice only, but you know). I like the first couple seasons of Family Guy, but that's it. Cleveland is worthless, American Dad is worthless, and everything he's done on Family Guy since the early seasons just feels like a snake eating its own asshole.

 

I'm more game for this because I'm curious what he'll do unfettered by censorship and the particulars of making "edgy" programming on Fox. I also like Marky Mark when he's being funny. So that's a plus, though I'm a bit disheartened to hear he's more of a supporting character to a fucking CGI teddy bear.

 

Regardless, I'm seeing this a week from Tuesday. I'm curious to see if I have the same reaction as you.

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post #3 of 14
6/15/12 at 7:47am

Like South Park, I've never understood the appeal of Family Guy.  And like South Park, I understand there are pretty clever things going on underneath the terrible animation, but I just can't take the crude, grating, nails on a chalkboard quality of the characters (especially South Park), their voices and their actions.  The aesthetic is just fucking awful and unbearable.  It was fairly tolerable on The Simpsons...but McFarlane and Parker/Stone just took it too damn far for my taste.

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post #4 of 14
6/15/12 at 7:52am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ambler View Post

It was fairly tolerable on The Simpsons...

 

I hope you're just talking about the show's later seasons... or...

 

YOU ARE AN OLD MAN AND A FOOL!!!!

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ll7tj1fN4w1qjfad9o1_400.gif

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post #5 of 14
6/15/12 at 7:58am
Quote:
Originally Posted by mcnooj82 View Post

 

I hope you're just talking about the show's later seasons... or...

 

YOU ARE AN OLD MAN AND A FOOL!!!!

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ll7tj1fN4w1qjfad9o1_400.gif

 

parts7.jpg

 

"Yarr?"

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post #6 of 14
6/16/12 at 4:17pm

4 Movie Clips

 

Not seeing this. But still interested on how this all works out.

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post #7 of 14
6/16/12 at 4:26pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by felix View Post

4 Movie Clips

 

Not seeing this. But still interested on how this all works out.

If Ted was comprised of a couple of 10 minute segments on youtube, I think this would probably be hilarious.  I just don't know how this would work as a future-length film.

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post #8 of 14
6/16/12 at 4:42pm

Oh great, get ready for the standard internet hate of Seth McFarlane, most likely capped with the "I wish he got on that plane on 9/11" comment.

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post #9 of 14
6/16/12 at 4:53pm

I've never heard a critic of MacFarlane say that, at least not one who wouldn't be dismissed as a troll. 

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post #10 of 14
6/16/12 at 4:59pm

Family guy has some great moments but is mostly obnoxious. The Cleveland show is %100 garbage. American Dad seasons 3 and 4 are actually very good (1+2 suck) with very few "miss" episodes.

 

I have some hope for this movie. I'm also curious about the cameo so I'll check it out.

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post #11 of 14
6/17/12 at 1:46am
Thread Starter 

SPOILERS... I guess?

 

But one thing I kinda dug about the movie is the way the opening credits just blaze through Ted's celebrity during Whalberg's character's childhood.  It has a fun moment with Johnny Carson as it shows you how Ted took the world by storm for about 15 minutes.  Then nobody gave a shit about him anymore and simply accepted his existence.  I don't really think that makes sense, but it's a fun punchline that allows the movie to not have to deal with Ted's celebrity much at all (aside from Giovanni Ribisi's part) and focus more on his relationship with Whalberg and Kunis's characters.

 

It's too bad that the movie doesn't really go anywhere all that interesting from there though.

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post #12 of 14
6/18/12 at 6:10am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Monster Pete View Post

Oh great, get ready for the standard internet hate of Seth McFarlane, most likely capped with the "I wish he got on that plane on 9/11" comment.

 

I hate Seth MacFarlane because he does nothing but recycle the same plotless shit over and over again across three frigging shows without ever holding tightly onto what makes something like Family Guy funny in the first place. He's not an untalented guy. He's just lazy as fuck. I loved him in Hellboy 2 (and wish he'd do more stuff like that), and I really dig the first 3 or 4 seasons of Family Guy. Really. And I want this to be good. And I'm really glad he didn't get on that plane on 9/11 because that would have been fucked up.

 

Anyways.

 

Nooj-- did you feel like the movie needed to acknowledge Ted's celebrity at all? Or do you think it would have been better off just ignoring the fact that he's a teddy bear who came to life courtesy of a child's wish?

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post #13 of 14
6/18/12 at 6:16am

I really don't like MacFarlane anymore for many of the same reasons (he has talent and has some inspired moments, but he tends to be lazy and is just content to let his older shows mostly sit there because they can), but it's pretty surprising how much better American Dad is than Family Guy.  Even today, AD still has episodes that are at the top of their game.  Plus, I'll never totally despise the guy who voices Roger, one of my favorite animated characters.  

 

Sad to hear that this wasn't MacFarlane at the top of his game.

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post #14 of 14
6/18/12 at 7:14am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by agracru View Post

 

Nooj-- did you feel like the movie needed to acknowledge Ted's celebrity at all? Or do you think it would have been better off just ignoring the fact that he's a teddy bear who came to life courtesy of a child's wish?

 

With the casual way his existence is treated during the rest of the movie, I think his celebrity needed to be acknowledged.  If not, I think I would've been wondering about it considering how freaked out Whalberg's parents were when they first met Ted.

 

Instead, I did wonder why no one in this universe seemed to consider the metaphysical implications of Ted's existence... but REPETITIVE JOKES!!!

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