Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.5
Overall		3.0

Ted 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf December 30, 2024

Writer/director/actor Seth MacFarlane has built an empire with his hit cartoon “Family Guy,” so one can hardly blame the creator when his debut feature as a filmmaker, “Ted,” resembles an episode of the beloved series. Raunchy and ridiculous, “Ted” is an easy transition for MacFarlane, who brings to the screen a succession of gross-outs, non sequiturs, and pop culture references, used to buttress a simple story of a magical wish gone horribly wrong. It’s a funny picture, never quite as sweet as MacFarlane imagines, but still generous with the silly stuff and captivatingly bizarre.

As a shy 8-year-old boy, John (played as an adult by Mark Wahlberg) was friendless, spending all of his time with his teddy bear, Ted (voiced by Seth MacFarlane). Bringing Ted to life with an extraordinary wish, John proceeds to spend the next 27 years with his furry little buddy, growing into a pot-smoking, “Flash Gordon”-watching duo who refuse to grow up, much to the dismay of John’s longtime girlfriend, Lori (Mila Kunis). Faced with losing Lori, John hopes to distance himself from Ted, urging the bear to starting living his own life. However, Ted’s influence is difficult to refuse, leaving John torn between the woman he loves and the goofball bear he’s known for most of his life. As future relationships are worked on by the trio, Ted and John are creeped out by Donny (Giovanni Ribisi), a desperate father who wants to bring Ted home to play with his demanding son.

“Ted” isn’t aiming to be an award-winner, but it does fully represent MacFarlane’s cinematic interests in a confident manner, launching his directorial career with a specialized hit of oddity meant to please his devoted fanbase. Much like an episode of “Family Guy,” “Ted” contains a few bellylaughs, several groaners, a handful of tasteless comments, and a heaping helping of film and television references, representing a man who stopped paying close attention to the media landscape in 1989. It’s all very familiar, even Ted’s voice is a mix of Peter and Brian Griffin (the movie acknowledges the lift), but it’s sold convincingly through MacFarlane’s focus on nonsense and the picture’s surprisingly good-natured approach. “Ted” avoids pitch- black comedy, selecting a more rascally tone that toys with Boston brute behaviors (served with wicked good accents) and the undeniable magic of a bong-sucking teddy bear that has sex with women.

There’s actually a story to “Ted” concerning the maturation of John, who once needed his bear pal to curse away thunderstorms and now can’t quite quit his bad influence of a friend, leaving Lori frustrated with a man she dearly loves. The plot is formulaic, only brightened by MacFarlane shenanigans (and a bouncy big band score by Walter Murphy), including a spray of vulgarity, a running joke involving Tom Skerritt as a status symbol, and an effort to establish Ted as an authentic display of Christmastime sorcery, with the bear spending much of the 1980s on the cover of magazines and as a guest on “The Tonight Show.” “Ted” also provides numerous movie references to the likes of “Airplane” and “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom,” though it saves most of its monkey business for “Flash Gordon,” which receives extended worship onscreen. Even Sam Jones (who dropped out of acting in 2007) makes an appearance, playing a manic version of himself, encouraging John and Ted to try cocaine, also chanting “Death to Ming!” before downing shots. For “Flash” fanatics, it’s a euphoric tribute stuffed with subtle pokes at the movie, carried with a wonderful propensity for violence by a shockingly game Jones.

Equally as inviting is the lead performance from Wahlberg, who’s uncharacteristically lighthearted as John, playing broad with MacFarlane as the schlub works to put his life in order, yet can’t resist Ted’s mischief. It can’t be easy playing a bro to a CGI bear, yet the actor makes an immense impression with his liveliness and commitment to the presence of Ted. He’s highly amusing, and Kunis also keeps her head above water, avoiding the one-note nag routine to find reasonable irritation for Lori, keeping the material grounded in some sense of emotional realism. At least for a film where a stuffed toy has a human girlfriend and narration by Patrick Stewart reveals strong opinions about “Superman Returns.”

This UHD release only offers the “Unrated Version” of “Ted,” not the theatrical cut.

Ted 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Screencaps are taken from the Blu-ray.

"Ted" was previously issued on Blu-ray in 2012, and now returns with a UHD release from Shout Factory, listed as a "new 4K transfer from the digital intermediate." This is an HD-shot movie from 12 years ago, finished in 2K, so visual power isn't on the menu here, but colors seem a tad off, carrying a slight yellowish push through the viewing experience. Reds are a bit too hot at times as well, messing with some skin tones. Highlights are troublesome, with distracting brightness, which the Blu-ray handles slightly better. Blacks are very heavy, losing some frame information along the way. Detail is strong, exploring skin particulars on human characters, and Ted's fuzzier appearance is largely intact.

Ted 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA mix does very well with jazzy moods and overall scoring cues, which sound sharp, delivering crisp instrumentation. Musical moods carry into the surrounds for pleasing immersion at times, joined by decent atmospherics, including weather events and party gatherings. Sound effects are defined throughout. Dialogue exchanges are clear, securing accents and intensity. Low-end isn't challenged in full, but some weight is understood with hostile encounters and heavier beats.

Ted 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features co-writer/director Seth MacFarlane, actor Mark Wahlberg, and co-writer Alec Sulkin.

• "Nothing is as Powerful as a Young Man's Wish" (18:20, HD) is a video conference interview with co-writers Alec Sulkin and Wellesley Wild. The interviewees track the development of "Ted," trying to figure out the look and attitude of the teddy bear, which represented a certain level of wish fulfillment for co-writer/director Seth MacFarlane. Story elements are examined, and development issues are identified, including casting, with many Hollywood actors refusing to play second banana to a CGI bear. Struggles with female characters are also identified, as Sulkin expresses some regret that they didn't do more with Lori. A celebration of MacFarlane's abilities is presented, focusing on his ease with comedy and confidence in his vision. The discussion closes with identification of the "Flash Gordon" tributes.

• "Thunder Buddies for Life" (14:19, HD) is an interview with producer Jason Clark, who examines the early development of "Ted," keeping the production on edge as they attempted to prove a CGI bear could work. After 20th Century Fox (the home of "Family Guy") decided to pass on the project, Universal snapped it up, immediately responding to the idea. Producer challenges are identified, including all the "Flash Gordon" material, requiring a lot of legal hustling to clear. Casting is celebrated, focusing on Giovanni Ribisi and his contributions to the feature. Technical achievements are also explored, dealing with a "long process" when it came to creating Ted.

• "The Making of 'Ted'" (24:43, HD) features interviews with co-writer/director Seth MacFarlane, producers Jason Clark, John Jacobs, and Scott Stuber, animation supervisor James W. Brown, visual effects supervisors Scott Liedtka and Blair Clark, CG supervisor Avi Goodman, and actors Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis, Giovanni Ribisi, and Jessica Barth. While some of this featurette is shallow salesmanship, visual evidence of the production's technical achievements are presented throughout. It's an interesting look at development and execution of a fully CGI character, and how MacFarlane brought him to life on-set.

• "Teddy Bear Scuffle" (5:38, HD) examines the fight sequence between Ted and John, highlighting previsualization planning and stunt choreography.

• "Beantown Bearings" (6:05, HD) highlights the production's effort to use Boston as a supporting character, offered access to many parts of the city, including Fenway Park.

• "Celebrity Scene Stealers" (8:17, HD) identifies supporting actors and surprise cameos in "Ted."

• "Donny & Robert" (5:20, HD) celebrates thespian contributions from Giovanni Ribisi and Aedin Mincks.

• "The Sleazy Boss" (4:41, HD) spotlights Joel McHale's supporting performance.

• "OMG! It's Sam Jones" (3:30, HD) investigates the ways of "Flash Gordon" and its star.

• "Best of Buds" (2:43, HD) details the production's effort to create drug use for a CGI character.

• "Ted's Girl" (2:45, HD) celebrates Jessica Barth's supporting performance.

• Deleted Scenes (14:54, HD) are offered.

• Alternate Takes (10:32, HD) showcases various ideas for jokes in "Ted."

• Gag Reel (6:25, HD) highlights giggle fits, blown lines, and ill-timed sneezes.

• A Theatrical Trailer is not included on this release.

Ted 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Ted" is a little too long for such a thin premise, and a supporting turn by Joel McHale (as Lori's lecherous boss) is stunningly awful, but the majority of the feature finds a comfort zone between crudeness and playfulness that sustains through most of the picture. MacFarlane isn't exactly flexing his creative muscles with "Ted," but as a first baby-step transition from television to film goes, it's a consistently engaging effort.