“Yay a Boston movie! This flick was the talk of the town last year. Filming was happening all over the place. My boss said they were filming right down the street from her house. A friend who works in some rather high end retail said he sold Mila Kunis some makeup. The Somerville Theater, which is right near where I work, actually had a scene there, so I snapped a shot of its setup on my way home. I actually considered watching this at that theater, but my current home theater, the AMC in Harvard Square is set to close next week. This is likely my farewell film there.
For the Boston aspect, this feels like a film that got it right. Mark Wahlberg (accent and all), plenty of recognizable scenery, humor at the city’s expense. Sure, some was off. There’s a chase scene happening near South Station, they escape thru a fenced gate, and OMG they’re in Fenway park. But there was some fun along the Common, the obligatory skyline shots, the aforementioned Somerville Theater, a lot of downtown, the esplanade, plenty of sights that elicited cheers from the audience.
Even if the Boston aspect didn’t already guarantee my attending the film, there’s several other factors that would have as well. Seth MacFarlane being at the top of the list. I am very much a Family Guy fan (I have all the DVD sets), and it’s long since been established that I crave offensive humor. I live for the shock value and the surprise, and MacFarlane is consistent at delivering that. He certainly didn’t disappoint here. It wasn’t as constant as on Family Guy, but there were plenty of jaw dropping moments. Literally. I’d make a did-he-just-say-that wide-mouthed face.
I also love the premise, and the execution was fabulous. The story was framed like a magical Christmas movie, with the little boy wishing his bear would come to life. You had a regal sounding narrator, who would then drop the occassional f-bomb in the middle of the story. It’s also special to me because I too have a Thunder Buddy. Well, I dont necessarily think of him as a Thunder Buddy, but he is my plush best friend. His name is Marty Martian, and Marty has been with me since I won him in a crane game in junior high. He travels with me and when I can, I try to take pictures of him in interesting spots. Just a couple weeks ago we spent the day running around NYC finding photo ops. I actually considered taking him to see Ted with me (wouldnt be the first movie he’s been to) but I thought that was a little much, even for me.
Turns out the bear was such a great and unique addition to the film. You’d think the foul mouthed bear joke would get old, but it didn’t. Half of the time, you’d find yourself forgetting that you were dealing with a giant stufty, and would just think of the movie as a bro-mance. But then there’d be a gag that reminded you what you were actually watching, and it was hilarious. The film could almost work without the bear, which I only say to emphasize how well put together it was.
And of course, the cast was fantastic. Marky Mark Wahlberg is at his best when he’s on his home turf. He’s the perfect nice guy, and it was just the right level of comedy for him. I rather love Mila Kunis. Just like in Friends With Benefits, she’s pretty bad ass for your ingenue. Not a empty headed bimbo who looks pretty, but she’s a tough girl with just as dirty of a sense of humor as our boy. Their relationship has to be one of my favorites (not that I ever really rank and pay attention to movie relationships), but it has the level of fun that I would want. Even in the middle of a serious conversation, they can break down into toilet humor and both contribute to it. That’s an ideal couple in my mind. Strong supporting cast, props in particular to Joel McHale, and one surprise cameo that totally made the whole movie for me.
Right then, time to wrap up and go squeeze my thunder buddy.
Ted – \m/ \m/ \m/ \m/