TED 2

They're back. Best friends John and Ted return for some more foul-mouthed fun in the follow up to the hugely successful Ted. The real test for Ted 2 was whether it could survive the curse of the comedy sequel. The answer is a resounding yes and it does so by being just as funny and entertaining as the first film.

When Ted (voiced by Seth MacFarlane) and his wife Tami-Lynn (Jessica Barth) decide to try adopt a baby, it comes to the attention of the government that Ted is actually a toy bear brought to life by the wish of a young John back in the 80s. They deny the couple the chance to adopt on the grounds that Ted isn't actually a human.

With the help of his best friend, John (Mark Wahlberg) and young lawyer, Sam (Amanda Seyfried), Ted has to find a way to convince the government that he is more than just the toy he initially was.

Ted 2 comes out of the traps all guns blazing with the first half being a barrage of jokes, some quite tame but then others pushing the absolute limits of what acceptable. There are also jokes that feel random to the plot, making the first half seem like a live action episode of Family Guy, more so than the first film anyway. In all honesty though, I didn't really expect anything else from Seth MacFarlane, the man responsible for bringing Family Guy into our lives.

The film then slows down a little for its second half, but don't worry as there are still plenty of jokes to laugh at. It goes for the same thing the first film did in terms of attempting to explore the emotional side of Ted and John's friendship. It succeeds to an extent due to the great voice work of MacFarlane as Ted and the performance of Wahlberg, who has shown recently he has a knack for comedy.

For me, the funniest moments in Ted 2 came from the jokes that pushed the boundaries or the many references to various movies and TV shows, the best being a brilliantly executed reference to Jurassic Park involving quite a large amount of marijuana. There is also a cameo from Liam Neeson that has to be mentioned. It's just hilarious and he very nearly steals the entire show.

While I still prefer the first film, Ted 2 is a welcome sequel that will most likely be one of the funniest films of 2015. 

Verdict: ★★★½