Mark Wahlberg's foul-mouthed teddy bear companion makes for one of the best-reviewed comedies of 2012 to date.
By Josh Wigler

Ted and Mark Wahlberg from 'Ted'
Photo: Universal Pictures

Talking babies, talking aliens, talking dogs — there seems to be no species Seth MacFarlane can't give voice to.

The "Family Guy" creator is up to his usual tricks again in "Ted," his feature-film debut in theaters now, starring Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis and a bevy of surprise guest stars. And make no mistake: "Ted" is much more than just an onslaught of F-bombs and potshots coming out of a talking teddy bear's mouth; according to the critics, there's a whole lot of heart on display as well.

Keep reading for our round-up of "Ted" reviews!

The Story
"Years ago, in his lonely youth, John wished his Christmas present would come to life, and through the miracle of angels and digital effects, it did. Now John is 35 and trying to be a grown-up, with a girlfriend, Lori (Mila Kunis) and a job. Ted, with his taste for weed, politically incorrect jokes and hookers, is all that's holding him back." — Ty Burr, The Boston Globe

Wuvable Wahlberg
"Mark Wahlberg possesses a childlike sweetness that makes it surprisingly easy to believe that his best friend could be a foul-mouthed, pot-smoking, yet adorable talking teddy bear — and that such a friendship would be a pairing of equals. The feature directorial debut of 'Family Guy' creator Seth MacFarlane, 'Ted' makes inspired use of the ingratiating innocence behind Wahlberg's working-class toughness, resulting in an incongruously cute interspecies buddy comedy that's powered alternately by the pixie dust of boyhood imagination and the ruder, cruder urges of adolescence." — Nathan Rabin, The AV Club

Introducing Ted As Himself
"What's remarkable about 'Ted' is that it doesn't run out of steam. MacFarlane seems unwilling to stop after the first payoff of a scene. He keeps embellishing. In Ted, he has an inexhaustible source of socially obnoxious behavior and language, and it's uncanny the way a teddy bear can get away with doing and saying things that we wouldn't necessarily accept from a human character. This is partly because Ted is a stand-up insult comedian trapped inside the body of a teddy bear." — Roger Ebert, The Chicago Sun-Times

Growing Up MacFarlane
"Walking into 'Ted,' all I'd seen was the first red-band trailer, and it looked to me like exactly what I would expect from a Seth MacFarlane film. However, what the trailers haven't really sold yet is the emotional core of the movie which works incredibly well, and while the movie has a dirty mouth, it's got a sweet heart, and it suggests to me that MacFarlane's signature interests are tempered by a new maturity to his work." — Drew McWeeny, HitFix

The Final Word
"If you watch the animated hijinks on TV's 'Family Guy,' 'The Cleveland Show' and 'American Dad,' you know that Seth MacFarlane, the brainy, bawdy creator of those kickass shows, does not cater to audiences who call him juvenile, stupid, vulgar and foul-mouthed. So stop reading, MacFarlane haters. Ted is not for you. MacFarlane's debut as a feature director hits all the sweet spots that irritate prudes." — Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

Check out everything we've got on "Ted."

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