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Ted 2 is a 2015 American comedy film directed by Seth MacFarlane and written by MacFarlane, Alec Sulkin, and Wellesley Wild. A sequel to the 2012 film Ted, the film stars Mark Wahlberg and MacFarlane as the title character, both reprising their roles from the original film. It was released on June 26, 2015, by Universal Pictures. Critical reception of the film was mixed.

Plot

John Bennett has been divorced from Lori Collins for six months. Meanwhile, Ted marries his girlfriend, Tami-Lynn, but they fight constantly. Ted and Tami-Lynn decide to have a child to attempt to preserve their relationship. Since Ted is incapable of reproductive functions, he goes to John for help. At the same time, Ted is trying to encourage John to start dating again, but John is reluctant. Ted discovers that John has gotten increasingly addicted to Internet pornography. Ted encourages John to date the first woman he meets.

Ted and John attempt to get a sperm donor, and ultimately, Ted accepts John's donation offer. Unfortunately, Tami-Lynn is infertile, having ruined her ovaries through excessive drug use. Tami-Lynn and Ted's inquiries into adoption draw attention to his status as property, resulting in the loss of his job and financial accounts. Furthermore, Ted's marriage to Tami-Lynn is annulled. John suggests that take the situation to court. Since they cannot afford a lawyer, their case is assigned to the novice, Samantha Leslie Jackson. At first they are reluctant to work with her, feeling she is too inexperienced but they quickly change their minds when they discover that she shares their love of marijuana. The three bond as they prepare to present the case.

Meanwhile, Donny is now employed as a janitor at the Hasbro Toy Company headquarters. He convinces the company CEO to hire an expert attorney to ensure that Ted maintains his status as property. Donny proposes that Hasbro capture Ted and study him in hopes of discovering the secret to creating more living teddy bears.

The court rules against Ted. Dispirited but desperate, Samantha, Ted and John turn to Patrick Meighan, a highly respected civil rights attorney, in the hopes of overturning the court's decision. They take a road trip to New York City to meet with him, but their car goes off road due to Ted's irresponsible driving, and the group spends the night in a hidden marijuana patch. While sitting around a campfire, Samantha and John realize their attraction for each other. The next morning, the group proceeds to New York City. Meighan is sympathetic to Ted's plight, but ultimately refuses the case, as he believes that Ted has not significantly contributed to humanity due to his irresponsible and hedonistic lifestyle.

Ted, frustrated over the injustice and jealous of Samantha and John's new relationship, runs off to be left alone. Donny follows him as he wanders into the New York Comic-Con. Once inside, Donny poses as a costumed fan and asks Ted for a picture, but Ted flees as soon as Donny reveals himself. He steals a phone and contacts John before Donny catches him. John and Samantha arrive at Comic-Con and search for Ted, arriving as Donny is about to cut Ted open. They release Ted but Donny cuts the cables holding up a model of the Starship Enterprise. John throws Ted out of the way, and is knocked into a coma. Donny is arrested.

At the hospital, Samantha, Ted and Tami-Lynn rejoice when John is revealed to be fine. Patrick Meighan enters and tells them he has been inspired to reconsider taking the case because John was willing to risk his life to save Ted. Meighan gets the ruling overturned because Ted is self-aware, feels complex emotions, and is capable of empathy. A reporter asks if Ted has any words to say as a person for the first time, so Ted re-proposes to Tami-Lynn. After they are re-married, Ted adopts the surname of "Clubber Lang," and he and Tami-Lynn adopt a baby boy whom they name Apollo Creed Clubber Lang. John and Samantha happily pursue their own relationship.

Cast

• Mark Wahlberg as John Bennett
• Seth MacFarlane as Ted (Voice and motion capture)
  • Tara Strong (uncredited) as Ted's "I Love You" function
• Amanda Seyfried as Samantha Leslie Jackson
• Jessica Barth as Tami-Lynn
• Giovanni Ribisi as Donny
• Morgan Freeman as Patrick Meighan
• John Slattery as Shep Wild
• Patrick Warburton as Guy
• Michael Dorn as Rick
• Bill Smitrovich as Frank
• Cocoa Brown as Joy
• John Carroll Lynch as Tom Jessup
• Ron Canada as the Judge
• Richard Schiff as Steve

Cameos

• Sam J. Jones as himself
• Sebastian Arcelus as Dr. Danzer
• Tom Brady as himself
• Dennis Haysbert as Fertility doctor
• Taran Killam as himself
• Jimmy Kimmel as himself
• Jay Leno as himself
• Kate McKinnon as herself
• Bobby Moynihan as himself
• Liam Neeson as Customer
• Patrick Stewart as Narrator
• Curtis Stigers as Wedding singer
• Nana Visitor as Adoption agent
• Ralph Garman as Stormtrooper

Production

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 (as voiced by MacFarlane) 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 as John's co-worker Guy, 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.

Release

On January 27, 2015, the film's teaser poster was released. This was followed two days later by its trailer. The film premiered on June 24, 2015, in New York City, with its general release two days later.

Reception

Box office

As of July 5, 2015, Ted 2 has grossed $58.3 million in North America and $36 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $94.3 million, against a budget of $68 million.

In the United States and Canada, Ted 2 opened simultaneously with the family adventure film Max, in across 3,441 theaters. It made $2.6 million from its Thursday night showings from 2,647 theaters, and $13.2 million on its opening day. In its opening weekend, Ted 2 earned $33.5 million, finishing third at the box office behind Jurassic World ($54.5 million) and Inside Out ($52.3 million). The opening total was a disappointment, considering the film's initial projected opening of $45–50 million, and its predecessor's $54.4 million opening three years prior. It was director MacFarlane's second consecutive underperforming opening, following 2014's A Million Ways to Die in the West, which opened to $16.8 million.

Outside North America, the film earned an estimated $20 million in its opening weekend from 26 countries. It opened in number two in Germany ($3.7 million), Russia and the CIS ($3.5 million) and Australia ($3.3 million).

Critical response

Ted 2 has received mixed reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a rating of 46%, based on 134 reviews, with an average rating of 5.1/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Ted 2 reunites Mark Wahlberg and Seth MacFarlane for another round of sophomoric, scatological humor — and just as before, your enjoyment will depend on your tolerance for all of the above." On Metacritic, the film has a score of 48 out of 100, based on 36 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". In CinemaScore polls, cinema audiences gave Ted 2 an average score of "B+" on an A+ to F scale, in contrast to the "A-" earned by its predecessor.

James Berardinelli of ReelViews gave the film two out of four stars, saying "It would be disingenuous for me to claim that Ted 2 isn't funny. Although I was often bored by the plodding direction of the story, I laughed from time-to-time." Chris Nashawaty of Entertainment Weekly gave the film a C+, saying "You realize what it must be like to be trapped in detention with a bunch of 15-year-old boys who think there's nothing more hilarious than repeating the same jokes about porn, pot, and pulling your pud over and over again. It's funny, until it's not." Bill Goodykoontz of The Arizona Republic gave the film two out of five stars, saying "The film, like most of MacFarlane's work, is a mix of occasional laugh-out-loud moments - there are some here - and cringe-worthy misfires that play a lot more tone-deaf than he seems to intend." Brian Truitt of USA Today gave the film two out of four stars, saying "MacFarlane and co-writers Alec Sulkin and Wellesley Wild have a gift for referential riffs, but the plot is the thinnest of narratives just to connect all the comedy bits." Stephen Whitty of the Newark Star-Ledger gave the film one and a half stars out of four, saying "Sure, MacFarlane can write simple jokes as long as the 'f' key on his laptop holds out. Some of them are even funny. But a lot of them don't pay off, and most trod the same well-worn territory -- potheads, practical jokes, politically-incorrect cliches." Lindsey Bahr of the Associated Press gave the film a negative review, saying "In an admirable effort to go a different route, MacFarlane has instead done something hopelessly bizarre: He's given his film too much sincerity and story, and it practically crushes whatever fun does exist."

Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle gave the film three out of four stars, saying "MacFarlane is cynical, but he's not a cynic, and there are moments in Ted 2 where you can sense a longing for the gentler and more upbeat entertainment of an earlier generation." Soren Anderson of The Seattle Times gave the film two out of four stars, saying "In the midst of comedy, seriousness. The combination feels forced. A more disciplined and smarter director might have been able to successfully blend the two elements, but crude dude MacFarlane hasn't the skill to bring it off." Dan Callahan of The Wrap gave the film a negative review, saying "Bad taste needs to be more honest and more all-inclusive if it's to make a lasting impression, and MacFarlane's bad taste here is both too wishy-washy and too knee-jerk cruel to really make any impact." Manohla Dargis of The New York Times gave the film a negative review, saying "Mr. MacFarlane can be funny, but Ted 2 is insultingly lazy hack work that is worth discussing primarily because of how he tries and fails to turn race, and specifically black men, into comedy fodder." Jacob Hall of New York Daily News gave the film one out of five stars, saying "Once again, you will believe that a talking CGI stuffed animal can be a racist, hateful monster with no redeeming qualities ... but his greatest sin is that he's not funny." Peter Howell of the Toronto Star gave the film two out of four stars, saying "If you didn't see and laugh at the first Ted, and maybe also at MacFarlane's button-pushing TV series Family Guy, then another movie deserves your entertainment dollars." A.A. Dowd of The A.V. Club gave the film a C+, saying "Either way, Ted 2 strikes a sometimes-awkward balance between sincerity and cheap provocation. It also forgets that the real draw of the first film wasn’t Ted himself, but Wahlberg, whose sweet-lug routine scored a lot of belly laughs."

See also

• 2010s
• Film
• Comedy

References

1. "TED 2 (15)". British Board of Film Classification. June 24, 2015. Retrieved June 24, 2015.
2. Scott Mendelson (June 28, 2015). "Box Office: 'Ted 2' Nabs Bearable $33M Weekend". Forbes. Retrieved June 28, 2015.
3. ^ "Ted 2 (2015)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved July 6, 2015.
4. JURASSIC WORLD, SEVENTH SON, TED 2, FIFTY SHADES OF GREY Super Bowl Spots
5. ^ "John Slattery joins 'Ted 2'". EW.com. Retrieved September 27, 2014.
6. ^ Fleming Jr, Mike (August 20, 2014). "Patrick Warburton Back For 'Ted' Sequel". deadline.com. Retrieved August 21, 2014.
7. ^ "Seth MacFarlane on Twitter: "Hilarious work in Ted 2 today by @paddywarbucks and @akaWorf!"". Retrieved September 23, 2014.
8. "Twitter / Richard_Schiff: Boston Haahbah. Just like I". Twitter.com. August 4, 2014. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
9. ^ "Curtis Stigers on Twitter: "On the set of Ted 2. My chair is the one that says Don't Sit Here You're Not A Movie Star". Retrieved September 23, 2014.
10. Boren, Cindy (November 6, 2014). "Tom Brady lands 'Ted 2,' 'Entourage' roles, brings Gronk along". WashingtonPost.com. Retrieved November 6, 2014.
11. ^ "Dennis Haysbert Joins Both Dead Rising and Ted 2". Retrieved September 23, 2014.
12. ^ "Seth MacFarlane on Twitter: "Yesterday Liam Neeson, today Morgan Freeman. Not a bad week for #Ted2."". Retrieved September 25, 2014.
13. ^ "Nana Visitor on Twitter: "Had such a great time on Ted 2 today. What a guy, what a bear."". Nana Visitor. November 11, 2014.
14. Patten, Dominic (July 14, 2012). "Comic-Con - Seth MacFarlane Says "I'd Be Open To Making Ted 2"". Deadline.com. Retrieved July 12, 2014.
15. "BBC News - Bourne Legacy sequel confirmed". Bbc.co.uk. September 14, 2012. Retrieved July 12, 2014.
16. Franich, Darren (January 17, 2013). "Mark Wahlberg and Ted to appear at Oscars - VIDEO". Insidemovies.ew.com. Retrieved February 26, 2013.
17. "'Ted 2′ Gets June 2015 Release Date". deadline.com. October 2, 2013. Retrieved October 2, 2013.
18. "Amanda Seyfried Set By Seth MacFarlane For 'Ted' Sequel". deadline.com. February 24, 2014. Retrieved February 24, 2014.
19. "Jessica Barth Set to Return as Foul-Mouthed Girlfriend Tami-Lynn in 'Ted 2' (Exclusive)". TheWrap. June 17, 2014. Retrieved July 12, 2014.
20. "Morgan Freeman Lands Juicy Role in 'Ted 2′ (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. September 10, 2014. Retrieved September 10, 2014.
21. "Twitter / SethMacFarlane: 1st day of filming on Ted 2:". Twitter. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
22. "Seth MacFarlane tweets the start of 'Ted 2'". The Boston Globe. June 28, 2014. Retrieved July 12, 2014.
23. "Seth MacFarlane on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved November 17, 2014.
24. Doty, Meriah (January 27, 2015). "'Ted 2' Poster Is Harbinger of Crude Jokes to Come". Yahoo. Retrieved January 29, 2015.
25. Denham, Jess (January 29, 2015). "Ted 2 trailer: Seth MacFarlane returns for more mischief in first look at new movie". The Independent. Retrieved January 29, 2015.
26. Emery, Debbie (June 24, 2015). "Seth MacFarlane, Mark Wahlberg, Amanda Seyfried Get Cuddly at 'Ted 2' NYC Premiere (Photos)". The Wrap. Retrieved June 25, 2015.
27. Pamela McClintock (June 26, 2015). "Box Office: 'Ted 2' Opens to Strong $2.6M Thursday Night". The Hollywood Reporter. (Prometheus Global Media). Retrieved June 26, 2015.
28. Keith Simanton (June 25, 2015). "'Jurassic' and 'Inside' Adjust 'Teds Weekend". Box Office Mojo. (Amazon.com). Retrieved June 28, 2015.
29. ^ Keith Simanton (June 28, 2015). "'Jurassic' Holds Off Challengers". Box Office Mojo. (Amazon.com). Retrieved June 28, 2015. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
30. Nancy Tartaglione (June 29, 2015). "'Terminator: Genisys' Lords Over 'Salvation'; Dinos Mighty With $84.3M More; 'Minions' Well Outpacing 'DM2′ – Intl Box Office Final". Deadline.com. (Penske Media Corporation). Retrieved June 30, 2015. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
31. "Ted 2". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster. Retrieved July 6, 2015.
32. "Ted 2". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved July 6, 2015.
33. Anthony D'Alessandro (June 27, 2015). "Pixar Girl In Staring Contest With Dinos For No. 1, 'Ted 2′ Falls Off The Wagon, 'Max' Is A Good Dog". Deadline.com. (Prometheus Global Media). Retrieved June 27, 2015. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
34. James Berardinelli. "Ted 2 | Reelviews Movie Reviews". Reelviews.net. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
35. Nashawaty, Chris. "'Ted 2': EW review". EW.com. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
36. "Review: 'Ted 2' gives us more (and less) of the same". Azcentral.com. April 22, 2015. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
37. "Review: Grin and bear 'Ted 2' hijinks". Usatoday.com. June 23, 2015. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
38. Stephen Whitty. "'Ted 2' review: Mark Wahlberg grins, and bears it". NJ.com. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
39. The Associated Press (May 27, 2015). "Movie review: Sincerity, story crush 'Ted 2'". masslive.com. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
40. Mick LaSalle (March 11, 2015). "'Ted 2' — lowdown and very funny". SFGate. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
41. Andersen, Soren. "'Ted 2': The crude little dude is back". The Seattle Times. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
42. "'Ted 2' Review: Seth MacFarlane's Bad-Taste Humor Plays It Safe (and Sexist)". Thewrap.com. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
43. "Review: In 'Ted 2,' the Foulmouthed Bear Tries to Prove He's Human". The New York Times. June 23, 2015. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
44. "'Ted 2' review: Seth McFarlane scrapes bottom of barrel". NY Daily News. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
45. "Ted 2 returns with unbearably crude humour and cheap laughs: review". Thestar.com. March 16, 2015. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
46. A.A. Dowd. "Review: Ted 2 gets filthier but less charming". Avclub.com. Retrieved June 27, 2015.

External links

• Official website
• Ted 2 at IMDb
• Ted 2 at Box Office Mojo
• Ted 2 at Rotten Tomatoes
• Ted 2 at Metacritic

• 2015 films
• 2010s comedy films
• 2010s fantasy films
• American sex comedy films
• American fantasy-comedy films
• American films
• American legal films
• Buddy films
• Courtroom films
• English-language films
• Fantasy-comedy films
• Films about bears
• Films about drugs
• Films about human rights
• Films directed by Seth MacFarlane
• Films featuring anthropomorphic characters
• Films set in Boston, Massachusetts
• Films set in Massachusetts
• Films set in New York City
• Films shot in Massachusetts
• Fuzzy Door Productions films
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• Performance capture in film
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