Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.0

Ted 2 Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman November 21, 2015

Press material for Ted 2, the follow-up to, what else, 2012's Ted, calls the title character "the world's most beloved trash-talking teddy bear," as if there's a plethora of trash-talking teddy bears from which to choose for that "distinction." Indeed, Creator Seth MacFarlane's (A Million Ways to Die in the West) foul-mouthed teddy bear come to life is a fairly unique entity, certainly not a brain-busting creation by any stretch of the imagination but a fun mixture of witty voice acting (from MacFarlane himself) and superb digital effects. But that novelty doesn't mean the series is resting on its laurels, taking advantage of a cinema monopoly and forcing garbage down the audiences throat. On the contrary, Ted 2 takes a playful, and yes, foul-mouthed, look at what it means to be alive both by the most precise legal definition and in the heart, even if that "heart" isn't a real, beating thing but instead something else, something that defines a living thing beyond the biological and instead by something that cannot be scientifically measured: the soul. Oh, and so as not to lose the movie's spirit in a soupy metaphysical discussion: "Poop! "F**k! S**t! Pass the weed." Ahh. There's Ted again.

Marsellus Wallace's soul makes a cameo.

The teddy bear-to-life Ted (voiced by Seth MacFarlane) is marrying his human girlfriend Tami-Lynn (Jessica Barth). The ceremony is big and beautiful, but it doesn't take long for reality to set in. The couple lives in a run-down apartment. They're working dead-end jobs at a grocery store and are struggling to pay the bills. Their love is gone and their marriage is on the rocks. After consulting with one of his co-workers, Ted approaches his bride with an idea: they should have a child. She's all for the idea and everything seems hunky-dory. At least until they realize that they cannot have a child because Ted lacks the proper, um, appendage to do his part. They try their hand at sperm donation but learn that years of drug abuse have rendered Tami-Lynn infertile. Their final option is adoption, but their efforts again hit a brick wall when it's revealed that Ted cannot adopt because he's legally considered property, not a person. Their only recourse is to have him legally declared a human being in court. Ted and his best friend John (Mark Wahlberg) lawyer up and find a young, drug-abusing, 26-year-old fresh from law school attorney named Sam (Amanda Seyfried) to take the case pro bono.

Ted 2 is unabashedly crude, a rapid-fire, foul-mouthed extravaganza that gives South Park a run for its money. No subject is taboo, no language is too coarse, no joke is played too safely. But like South Park, Ted 2 isn't simply about flinging verbal mud at the screen. There's purpose behind the madness, even if the madness takes the lion's share of the screen time and, even more than the deeper story currents that run through it, dominates the proceedings. Amongst the crude jokes and physical gags -- which means plenty of drug use, a humorous exchange during which the characters wonder what the "F" in "F. Scott Fitzgerald" stands for, or various and very literal cheap shots at Comic-Con attendees -- is a story that's essentially the same thing seen in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "The Measure of a Man" in which the android officer Data is the subject of a Starfleet inquiry centered on his sentience, the result of which will either validate his existence and allow him to continue his duties or relegate him to disassembly and study. That's not a surprise considering Director Seth MacFarlane's lifelong love affair with Star Trek (he hosted one of the key supplements in The Next Generation's season three Blu-ray release). He recreates the story neither smartly nor crudely but instead as an adequate and interesting backdrop for the humor, a backdrop that allows for all sorts of wild misadventures that even involve some fisticuffs between "famous Starfleet captains" (read: Trekkies in costume) and a large-scale Enterprise-D model that threatens to destroy everything.

On the other hand, Ted 2 feels a bit bloated (note that this review is written in response to the extended cut, which runs about 10 minutes more than the theatrical cut). It's a high energy film that, a bit too frequently, becomes bogged down in somewhat repetitive actions and verbal exchanges that don't kill the pace -- it's still a laugh-out-loud and very fun ride -- but that instead keep it in neutral, preventing it from maintaining a linear, upwards momentum at all times. There's a tendency to drag out gags or repeat the same jokes, which works once or twice in establishing, or in the case of the sequel, reinforcing the rapport between Ted and John, but by mid movie there should be a greater emphasis on pushing the story forward and wrapping the humor into it, not vice versa. Still, the movie is a blast and the cast is terrific. Wahlberg really nails the part, playing a character that certainly doesn't stretch him as an actor but that allows him to have plenty of fun on the set, interacting with the beautifully animated bear that looks absolutely real and comes to life with a perfectly attuned vocal performance from Director Seth MacFarlane, who nails the balance between crude and tender and vulgar and relatable. The film enjoys excellent work from series newcomer Amanda Seyfried and the film plays host to plenty of great cameos, some of which are outlined in one of the Blu-ray supplements and some of which are left for the audience to find for themselves.

Ted 2 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Ted 2's 1080p transfer is uniformly excellent. The HD video source material never pushes more than a hair glossy or flat, resulting in a crisp, amazingly clear, and expertly colored and textured image. Details are precise on every surface and form every distance. Intimate facial features are endlessly complex. Clothing lines, seams, and fringes are tactile. Urban backdrops reveal every fine structural nuance. Even distant overhead shots offer astounding definition of far away structures and other environmental details. Colors are robust, plentiful, and bright. Green vegetation is a real standout, but so too are clothes and plenty of wildly varied shades both on city streets and, of course, in the Comic-Con convention center where posters, costumes, props, and other objects sparkle. Black levels are naturally deep and true. Flesh tones never betray a believably natural shading. The image suffers from no obvious examples of noise, banding, macroblocking, aliasing, or other unwanted eyesores. This is a top-tier transfer from Universal.

Ted 2 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Ted 2 comes to life with a finely detailed and richly exuberant DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. Music is potent and well defined down to the most subtle note, whether orchestral score, smooth Jazz numbers, energetic Pop beats during a legal montage in chapter six, or the signature Jurassic Park theme heard in chapter 12 in one of the funniest borrowed music gags ever. Spacing is effortless around the stage, with dominant fronts but surrounds that don't slack. Low end musical detail and pronouncement are excellent, too. Atmospherics are regularly rich and filling. Light city din is pleasingly immersive, Comic-Con chatter and clatter puts the listener into the environment, and a couple of examples of good dialogue reverberation, prominent at the wedding at film's start and a little less ambitious later on in the courtroom, all bring the film's key areas to vivid sonic life. A few gunshots are healthy and crisp while an explosion in chapter 13 sends a nice, pulsating rattle through the listening area. Basic dialogue enjoys excellent definition, perfect prioritization, and consistent center focus.

Ted 2 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Ted 2 features several extras, two cuts of the movie (Theatrical Version [1:55:34] and Unrated Version [2:05:50]), a DVD copy of the film, and a voucher for a UV/iTunes digital copy.

• Deleted Scenes (1080p): Buy My Shoes (0:35), WWI (0:42), We Should Celebrate (0:35), No Rules (0:39), Text Tami-Lynn (0:32), Greek Orthodox (0:28), and Outside Meighan's Office (0:55).
• Gag Reel (1080p, 2:39).
• Thunder Buddies 4 Lyfe (1080p, 7:28): A look at the screen chemistry shared between Ted and John, some of this film's highlight moments, acting with the bear, and Amanda Seyfried's character.
• Creating Comic-Con (1080p): A four-part feature that looks at making the film's Comic-Con sequence. Included are the following item-specific segments: The Exhibitors (2:56), The Costumes (3:21), The Stunts (4:15), and The Showdown (4:12).
• Cameo Buddies (1080p): Brief looks at a few of the familiar faces seen in the movie and the roles they played in it. Included are Morgan Freeman (1:22), Tom Brady (1:12), Liam Neeson (1:07), and David Hasselhoff (3:26).
• A Giant Opening Dance Number (1080p, 8:48): A discussion of, and a look behind-the-scenes into, the film's title sequence dance routine.
• Roadtripping (1080p, 8:51): An extended look at the making of the film's road trip sequence.
• Audio Commentary: Producer/Director/Co-Writer Seth MacFarlane, Executive Producers/Co-Writers Alec Sulkim & Wellesley Wild, and Star Jessica Barth deliver an infectiously fun commentary that's light on technical detail and high on entertainment value. There are some good insights but the track's best asset is the breezy, flowing nature that's like watching with friends.

Ted 2 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Ted 2 is a wildly fun film that runs a bit too long for its own good, but the core dynamics -- the bond between John and Ted, the effortlessness with which they interact (thanks to great digital and voice work), and the chemistry they share in their joke telling -- remain the series' strength. The plot is right out of Star Trek but gets the movie where it needs to go. For such a simple idea and generally simple execution, it all works very well and the result, with Ted 2, is one of the funniest movies of 2015. Universal's Blu-ray release of Ted 2 features standout video and audio. An average allotment of extras are included. Highly recommended.