Peter Jackson’s Long-Awaited Filmed Adaptation of The Hobbit to be a Trilogy
New Line Cinema, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, and Warner Bros. Pictures Announce Third Film in The Hobbit Trilogy
BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Peter Jackson will make a third film in his upcoming adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s enduringly popular masterpiece The Hobbit, it was jointly announced today by Toby Emmerich, President and Chief Operating Officer, New Line Cinema, Gary Barber and Roger Birnbaum, Co-Chairman and Chief Executive Officers, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, and Jeff Robinov, President, Warner Bros. Pictures Group.
Jackson, the Academy Award®-winning filmmaker behind the blockbuster “The Lord of the Rings” Trilogy, recently wrapped principal photography on what he originally planned to be a two-film adaptation of The Hobbit, which is set in Middle-earth 60 years before The Lord of the Rings.
Jackson stated, “Upon recently viewing a cut of the first film, and a chunk of the second, Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens and I were very pleased with the way the story was coming together. We recognized that the richness of the story of The Hobbit, as well as some of the related material in the appendices of The Lord of the Rings, gave rise to a simple question: do we tell more of the tale? And the answer from our perspective as filmmakers and fans was an unreserved ‘yes.’ We know the strength of our cast and of the characters they have brought to life. We know creatively how compelling and engaging the story can be and—lastly, and most importantly—we know how much of the tale of Bilbo Baggins, the Dwarves of Erebor, the rise of the Necromancer, and the Battle of Dol Guldur would remain untold if we did not fully realize this complex and wonderful adventure. I’m delighted that New Line, MGM and Warner Bros. are equally enthusiastic about bringing fans this expansive tale across three films.”
Emmerich stated, “We completely support Peter and his vision for bringing this grand adventure to the screen over the course of three films. Peter, Fran and Philippa’s reverence for the material and understanding of these characters ensure an exciting and expanded journey that is bound to please fans around the world.”
“With the abundance of rich material, we fully endorse the decision to further develop what Peter, Fran and Philippa have already begun. We are confident that, with the great care the filmmakers have taken to faithfully bring this journey to the screen, the film will be welcomed by the legions of fans across the globe,” said Barber and Birnbaum.
Robinov added, “Peter, Fran and Philippa have lived in this world and understand more than anyone its tremendous breadth and scope, and the relationships that bind it together. We strongly support their vision to bring this great work fully to life.”
The first film in the trilogy, “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” will be released December 14, 2012, with the second film releasing on December 13, 2013, and the third film slated for summer 2014. All three films will be released in 3D and 2D in select theatres and IMAX.
From Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson comes three films based on The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. The trilogy of films are set in Middle-earth 60 years before “The Lord of the Rings,” which Jackson and his filmmaking team brought to the big screen in the blockbuster trilogy that culminated with the Oscar®-winning “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.”
Ian McKellen returns as Gandalf the Grey, the character he played in “The Lord of the Rings” Trilogy, with Martin Freeman in the central role of Bilbo Baggins, and Richard Armitage as Thorin Oakenshield. Returning cast members from “The Lord of the Rings” Trilogy also include Cate Blanchett, Orlando Bloom, Ian Holm, Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving, Elijah Wood, and Andy Serkis as “Gollum.” The international ensemble cast also includes (in alphabetical order) John Bell, Jed Brophy, Adam Brown, John Callen, Billy Connolly, Luke Evans, Stephen Fry, Ryan Gage, Mark Hadlow, Peter Hambleton, Barry Humphries, Stephen Hunter, William Kircher, Evangeline Lilly, Sylvester McCoy, Bret McKenzie, Graham McTavish, Mike Mizrahi, James Nesbitt, Dean O’Gorman, Lee Pace, Mikael Persbrandt, Conan Stevens, Ken Stott, Jeffrey Thomas, and Aidan Turner.
The screenplay for “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” is by Fran Walsh & Philippa Boyens & Peter Jackson & Guillermo del Toro. Jackson is also producing the film, together with Carolynne Cunningham, Zane Weiner and Fran Walsh. The executive producers are Alan Horn, Toby Emmerich, Ken Kamins and Carolyn Blackwood, with Boyens and Eileen Moran serving as co-producers.
Under Jackson’s direction, all three movies are being shot in digital 3D using the latest camera and stereo technology. Additional filming, as with principal photography, is taking place at Stone Street Studios, Wellington, and on location around New Zealand.
“The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” and its successive installments are productions of New Line Cinema and MGM, with New Line managing production. Warner Bros. Pictures is handling worldwide theatrical distribution, with select international territories as well as all international television licensing, being handled by MGM.
About New Line Cinema
New Line Cinema continues to be one of the most successful independent film companies. For more than 40 years, its mission has been to produce innovative, popular, profitable entertainment in the best creative environment. A pioneer in franchise filmmaking, New Line produced the Oscar®-winning “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, which is a landmark in the history of film franchises. New Line Cinema is a division of Warner Bros.
About Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. is actively engaged in the worldwide production and distribution of motion pictures, television programming, home video, interactive media, music, and licensed merchandise. The company owns one of the world’s largest library of modern films, comprising approximately 4,000 titles. Operating units include Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc., United Artists Films Inc., MGM Television Entertainment Inc., MGM Networks Inc., MGM Distribution Co., MGM International Television Distribution Inc., Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Home Entertainment LLC, and MGM Music. In addition, MGM has ownership interests in domestic and international TV channels reaching over 130 countries. For more information, visit http://www.mgm.com/.
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
"Blade Anime" and "Wolverine Anime" Now in Stores
Each Two-Disc Set Includes 12 Episodes and All-New Featurettes!
Catch some of Marvel’s most dangerous Super Heroes when Sony Pictures Home Entertainment and Marvel Animation release BLADE ANIME and WOLVERINE ANIME on DVD July 31st. The two-disc sets will include all 12 episodes from each series, with epic battles and action-packed storylines, as well as six all-new featurettes. The series are guided by The New York Times best-selling author Warren Ellis (Iron Man: Extremis, Astonishing X-Men: Xenogenesis), and produced by Madhouse for Marvel Television and Sony Pictures Entertainment Japan (SPEJ). Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is the distributor.
BLADE ANIME features the voice of Harold Perrineau (TV’s “Lost,” Matrix trilogy) as Eric Brooks, otherwise known as Blade. The three new featurettes on this two-disc set include The Marvel Anime Universe: Blade Re-Awakened, which explores the process that went into developing this new take on the vampire-hunter. Other featurettes also include Blade: The Vampire-Slayer, comparing Marvel’s Blade with traditional vampire stories, and Special Talk Session: Marvel Anime's Blade and Wolverine, an interview with series creators.
WOLVERINE ANIME stars Milo Ventimiglia (TV’s “Heroes,” TV’s “Gilmore Girls”) voicing the title character of Wolverine. The three new featurettes on this two-discset include The Marvel Anime Universe: Wolverine Reborn, providing insights into the process for creating the series. The Ferocious Anti-Hero: Wolverine Defined exploresthe hero’s character, and Wolverine Meets X-Men contains an interview with the creators of the Marvel anime Wolverine and X-Men.
BLADE ANIME SYNOPSIS: Eric Brooks – known as Blade - seeks revenge on Deacon Frost, the vampire who killed his mother while she was still pregnant with him. With all the powers of a vampire and none of their weaknesses, Blade's quest leads him throughout Southeast Asia in search of Frost. In the Golden Triangle, he discovers a vampire plot that threatens to take down the whole world.
WOLVERINE ANIME SYNOPSIS: The love of Logan’s life, Mariko Yashida, is taken back to Japan by her father Shingen, a notorious crime lord. Once in Japan, she is forcibly betrothed to Kurohagi, a cruel criminal associate of her father, to solidify their business interests. Logan is determined to get her back, yet is plunged into a tangled web of corruption and violence at every turn. But with the help of young assassin Yukio, he just might manage to claw his way through the criminal underworld to confront Shingen and save Mariko.
Review: "Drop Zone: is an Underrated Action Film (Happy B'day, Wesley Snipes)
TRASH IN MY EYE No. 63 (of 2012) by Leroy Douresseaux
Drop Zone (1994)
Running time: 101 minutes (1 hour, 41 minutes)
MPAA – R for violence and language
DIRECTOR: John Badham
WRITERS: Peter Barsocchini and John Bishop, from a story by Tony Griffin, Guy Manos, and Peter Barsocchini
PRODUCERS: D.J. Caruso, Lauren Lloyd, and Wallis Nicita
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Roy H. Wagner (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Frank Morriss
COMPOSER: Hans Zimmer
ACTION/CRIME/THRILLER
Starring: Wesley Snipes, Gary Busey, Yancy Butler, Michael Jeter, Corin Nemec, Kyle Secor, Luca Bercovici, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Grace Zabriskie, Rex Linn, Robert LaSardo, Sam Hennings, Claire Stansfield, Mickey Jones, and Andy Romano
The subject of this movie review is Drop Zone, a 1994 action movie and crime thriller from director John Badham. This film was apparently initially conceived as a Steven Seagal project. Drop Zone stars Wesley Snipes as a U.S. Marshal tracking a team of skydiving crooks led by a former DEA agent.
A thoroughly underrated Wesley Snipes film (and there are several) is Drop Zone. At the time the film was first released, it was expected to be a huge hit, yet it didn’t gross $30 million at the North American box office. However, I think that any viewer who can identify with the character Snipes portrays will find that this movie really resonates for him.
Snipes is Pete Nessip, a U.S. Marshall, who is transferring a prisoner (Michael Jeter) to a safe house with his brother Terry (Malcolm-Jamal Warner) who is also a Marshall. A group of skyjackers stage an impossible prison break on a 747, kill Terry, and kidnaps the prisoner, Earl Leedy (Jeter). There is, however, more to this. Led by Ty Moncrief (Gary Busey), a former Drug Enforcement Agency agent, the skyjackers are actually a band of skydiving crooks that specialize in landing on the roofs of law enforcement buildings and hacking into law enforcement computer systems. They sell the information they get to drug lords. Nessip convinces Jessie Crossman (Yancy Butler), a roguish but loveable skydiving instructor, to help him track down the criminals.
Drop Zone is decidedly low-fi and is more like Snipes earlier hit, Passenger 57, or the Keanu Reaves classic Point Break. It’s a police procedural and crime thriller with some great action scenes. The skydiving stunt work and photography is breathtaking and, in fact, rocks. The acting is good, though a little stiff and over the top, but Snipes, Busey, and Ms. Butler carry the film quite well, especially Busey who does his usual good work as a crazy guy. Kyle Secor is also quite entertaining as the skydiving loony, Swoop, playing excellent comic relief. I give this film a hardy recommendation as a sure fire video rental or as a Saturday home matinee.
7 of 10
B+
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
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Monday, July 30, 2012
Review: "The Terminator" is Still a Bad Ass (Happy B'day, Arnold Schwarzenegger)
The Terminator (1984)
Running time: 107 minutes (1 hour, 47 minutes)
MPAA – R
DIRECTOR: James Cameron
WRITERS: Gale Ann Hurd and James Cameron, with William Wisher
PRODUCER: Gale Anne Hurd
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Adam Greenberg (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Mark Goldblatt
COMPOSER: Brad Fiedel
SCI-FI/FANTASY/ACTION/THRILLER
Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Biehn, Linda Hamilton, Paul Winfield, Lance Henriksen, and Bill Paxton
The subject of this movie review is The Terminator, a 1984 science fiction and action film from director James Cameron. Essentially an independent film, The Terminator was not expected to be a success. Not only was the film a commercial and critical hit, but it also spawned three sequels, a television series, and other spin-offs, including several comic book series. Of note, author Harlan Ellison received a screen credit on later releases of the film to acknowledge his work as a source for the film.
In the future, an artificial intelligence named Skynet, a kind of super computer, rules the planet and wages a total war on the small bands of human who survived Skynet’s initial genocidal campaign against mankind. When the human resistance reaches a point that it has defeated Skynet, it sends the Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger) back in time to kill the Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton), the woman who would one day give birth to John Connor, the leader of the successful human resistance. One of John Connor’s most trusted fighters, Kyle Reese (Michael Biehn) volunteers to follow the Terminator into the past to save Sarah, the woman Reese has secretly loved since the day he first saw an aged photo of her.
Directed by James Cameron, The Terminator was one of the last low budget science fiction movies to have a measurable impact on filmmaking. Short on funds, Cameron relied on story and well executed action sequences to keep the viewer on the edge of his seat. It is a far cry from the bloated SFX extravagances that Cameron would go on to shoot.
Cameron reveals just enough of the bleak, burnt out future to simultaneously whet our appetites and to then leave us begging for more. He aims the camera close in to the actors and uses quick cut editing to heighten the sense of drama and tension. Layers of shots from several angles strengthen the dramatic impact of the story; you simply can’t ignore this film. It is a simple story – a man has to save the woman he loves from a relentless killer. However, Cameron uses his directorial prowess to up the ante when it comes to the chase; the pursuit is one long, unrelenting, bloody hunt.
In one scene in particular, the Terminator arises like a broken phoenix from its funeral pyre, still alive and still following its program. Before the magic of computer generated imagery (CGI), this scene had to be shot in stop motion glory. An evil leer made of silver metal teeth spread across its face, the machine marches on to terminate its target. These few moments of filmmaking reveal the savvy of mind that can create his vision despites restraints of budget or technology. Cameron was good a long time before CGI.
The Terminator was a career defining and career changing moment for Schwarzenegger. The machine he portrays isn’t simply a cold efficient killer. It’s part specter and part machine – magic and science. His portrayal combines the coldest sci-fi villain with the scariest horror movie monster – Hal from 2001: A Space Odyssey meets Michael Myers from Halloween. As he storms through Los Angeles looking for his target, he examines his environment with the cool detachment of scientific device and stalks Kyle and Sarah with the hell born determination of masked slasher.
Biehn and Ms. Hamilton are very good in their parts. Reese is the consummate soldier, a sinewy runt, his body marked with gross scars. He has the single-minded determination to follow his commander’s orders and to successfully conclude his mission even at the cost of his life. Ms. Hamilton’s Sarah Connor is a dumped on young woman, whose comeliness hides behind a façade of homeliness and humility. The real woman in her waits the day when she can emerge fully formed and ready to throw off her waitress’s apron and kick butt.
Largely forgotten in the age of computer-enhanced movies, The Terminator remains as visceral, as funny, as exciting, and as poignant today as it was then. By no means perfect, it was more entertaining movie magic than thoughtful movie making. However, one cannot deny how effectively this movie delivers the thrills. Think of it as a B-movie made by an intelligent filmmaker steeped in the slums of maligned genres like horror, science fiction, fantasy, and comic books. This is the groundbreaking work of art that came from that ghetto.
8 of 10
A
NOTES:
2008 National Film Preservation Board, USA: “National Film Registry”
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Review: "Cries and Whispers" is Incredible Intense (Remembering Ingmar Bergman)
Cries and Whispers (1972)
Viskningar och rop – original title
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Sweden
Running time: 91 minutes (1 hour, 31 minutes)
MPAA – R
WRITER/DIRECTOR: Ingmar Bergman
PRODUCER: Lars-Owe Carlberg
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Sven Nykvist
EDITOR: Siv Lundgren
Academy Award winner
DRAMA
Starring: Harriet Andersson, Kari Sylwan, Ingrid Thulin, Liv Ullman, Inga Gill (voice), Anders Ek, Erland Josephson, Henning Moritzen, and Georg Arlin
The subject of this movie review is Cries and Whispers (Viskningar och rop), a 1972 drama written and directed by legendary Swedish filmmaker, the late Ingmar Bergman (1918-2007). The film follows two sisters who watch over the deathbed of a third sister and all the complicated history between the three women. At the time, Cries and Whispers was only the fourth foreign-language film to be nominated in the “best picture” category at the Academy Awards.
Ingmar Bergman is one of the world’s most renowned film directors, and his 1972 film Cries and Whispers influenced much of filmmaker Woody (Annie Hall) Allen’s work. This is the first Bergman film that I’ve ever seen and, as the film’s tagline says, it, for me, was a haunting and shattering experience.
Two sister, Marie (Liv Ullman) and Karin (Ingrid Thulin), take care of their terminally ill sister, Agnes (Harriet Andersson), all under the watchful gaze of Agnes’s loyal servant Anna (Kari Sylwan), in Agnes’s Swedish manor, circa 1900. The sisters’ relationship, like the relationship of real people, is complicated, and Agnes’s looming death forces them to confront each other, as well as forcing Marie and Karin to relive painful moments with their husbands from the recent past.
Cries and Whispers starts off quiet slowly; in fact, it takes much patience on the part of the viewer to stick with this film. However, about a third of the way into the movie, you can catch its deliberately languid rhythm. Bergman gives every scene such astonishing individual attention that his film becomes a composition of pictorial frames. Each frame is like a separate painting that when viewed with the aid of light and speed becomes a complex and engrossing story. Director of Photography Sven Nykvist (who won an Oscar for his work here) washes the film in vivid, dark colors, especially red, so that the movie looks like one continuous oil painting.
Of the many things that I got from this film was Bergman’s fidelity to the visual purity of film. His dialogue, which is sparse, is efficient and rich in telling the story. However, so much of the film story is dependent upon what the viewer sees on the screen, be it in the facial expressions and gestures of the actors or the lavish and colorful settings. From actors, to props, to settings, each one creates a mood conveyed through sight that communicates to the viewer. Bergman, like the great painters, is telling a story with his canvas, and his entire painting doesn’t just contribute to the story, it is the story, from the frozen expression on a character’s face to the overwhelming crimson that covers the manor’s walls. It’s a visual feast that harkens back to silent films, before sound corrupted the purely visual sensations of cinema.
As much as Bergman’s prowess is on display in the story and composition of the film, the acting is superb, first rate, and award winning work. They’re all good, and each actor tells his or her part of the story, using the human body as an artistic tool. My favorite is Kari Sylwan as the maid Anna. She is the film’s moral center, the loyal servant who steadies Agnes in her suffering, her sickness being the catalyst for this tale. Hers is a quite and bravura performance, one of the best supporting roles that I’ve ever had the pleasure to watch.
Anyone who seriously loves cinema as an art and as a visual artistic experience has to see Bergman, and this, though not his most famous work, is a good example of what a film artist can do in the medium. I won’t provide spoilers of the story, but there are many scenes that could shatter the nerves and unsettle the viewer.
9 of 10
A+
NOTES:
1974 Academy Awards: 1 win: “Best Cinematography” (Sven Nykvist); 4 nominations: “Best Costume Design” (Marik Vos-Lundh), “Best Director” (Ingmar Bergman), “Best Picture” (Ingmar Bergman), “Best Writing, Story and Screenplay Based on Factual Material or Material Not Previously Published or Produced” (Ingmar Bergman)
1974 BAFTA Awards: 2 nominations: “Best Actress” (Ingrid Thulin) and “Best Cinematography” (Sven Nykvist)
1973 Golden Globes, USA: 1 nomination: “Best Foreign-Language Foreign Film” (Sweden)
1973 Cannes Film Festival: 1 win: “Technical Grand Prize” (Ingmar Bergman)
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Sunday, July 29, 2012
Daniel Radcliffe Has the Right Stuff for "The Woman in Black"
The Woman in Black (2012)
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: U.K. with Canada and Sweden
Running time: 95 minutes (1 hour, 35 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for thematic material and violence/disturbing images
DIRECTOR: James Watkins
WRITER: Jane Goldman (based on the novel by Susan Hill)
PRODUCERS: Richard Jackson, Simon Oakes, and Brian Oliver
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Tim Maurice-Jones (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Jon Harris
COMPOSER: Marco Beltrami
HORROR/MYSTERY/THRILLER
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Ciarán Hinds, Janet McTeer, Misha Handley, Jessica Raine, Sophie Stuckey, and Liz White
The Woman in Black is a 2012 British horror and mystery thriller starring Daniel Radcliffe. The film is loosely based on the 1983 novel, The Woman in Black, written by Susan Hill. The film stars Daniel Radcliffe, who is famous for playing the title role in the Harry Potter films. Radcliffe plays a young lawyer who travels to a remote village where he discovers a vengeful ghost terrorizing the locals.
The Woman in Black’s film story is set in the Edwardian era (1901-1910). Arthur Kipps (Daniel Radcliffe) is a young attorney living in London. Kipps is also a young widower with a four-year-old son, Joseph (Misha Handley). A senior partner at the firm for which Kipps works is displeased with Arthur’s performance. Arthur gets an assignment that can save his career (for the time being). He must travel to the remote coastal village of Crythin Gifford, where he must gather the paperwork to sell Eel Marsh House, the home of a recently deceased client.
After a long journey by train, Arthur arrives at Crythin Gifford and finds the villagers acting coldly towards him. Samuel Daily (Ciarán Hinds), a wealthy local, and his wife, Elizabeth (Janet McTeer), are the only locals who welcome him. Arthur comes to understand that the people do not want him to go to Eel Marsh House, which is abandoned, but he must go to the home in order to search for important paperwork. When he finally settles in at the old house, Arthur learns that he is not alone when he sees the Woman in Black. Who is she and what does she want? Why does her mere appearance so frighten the villagers?
The Woman in Black is a classic ghost story that relies on setting and atmosphere more so than violence and action. It is a mystery because Arthur Kipps is trying to solve several mysteries that revolve around the Woman in Black and the villagers. It is a thriller because the story seems to always have a sound like a creak or a thud or some kind of wraith-like apparition ready to push in front of the camera and into your field of vision. It is a pure horror movie because it is simply chilling. I had goose bumps. My blood frequently ran cold. An intense tingly feeling ran through my upper arms, shoulders, upper back, neck, and head so many times that I often wondered if I was having a medical emergency.
The Woman in Black will keep you either on the edge of your seat or pressed into the back of your seat or both. Daniel Radcliffe gives a good performance, one that is tailored for this gothic-styled ghost story. Radcliffe will make it hard for you to think about Potter while watching this exceptionally scary movie. The Woman in Black will make you forget about anything else when she is around.
8 of 10
A
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Review: The Best Thing about "Ted" is Ted
TRASH IN MY EYE No. 61 (of 2012) by Leroy Douresseaux
Ted (2012)
Running time: 106 minutes (1 hour, 46 minutes)
MPAA – R for crude and sexual content, pervasive language, and some drug use
DIRECTOR: Seth MacFarlane
WRITERS: Seth MacFarlane, Alec Sulkin, and Wellesley Wild; from a story by Seth MacFarlane
PRODUCERS: Jason Clark, John Jacobs, Seth MacFarlane, Scott Stuber, and Wellesley Wild
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Michael Barrett
EDITOR: Jeff Freeman
COMPOSER: Walter Murphy
FANTASY/COMEDY/ROMANCE
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis, Seth McFarlane (voice), Joel McHale, Giovanni Ribisi, Patrick Warburton, Matt Walsh, Jessica Barth, Aedin Mincks, Bretton Manley, and Patrick Stewart (narrator) with Norah Jones, Sam J. Jones, Tom Skerritt, Ralph Garman, Alex Borstein, and Ryan Reynolds
The subject of this movie review is Ted, a 2012 comedy and fantasy film directed by Seth McFarlane, the creator of the long-running animated television series, “Family Guy” (FOX). The film stars Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis, and McFarlane, who gives voice to a teddy bear created using motion-capture CGI.
Ted opens in 1985 in the city of Boston where we meet a lonely boy named John Bennett who receives a teddy bear for Christmas. John names the toy “Ted,” and makes a wish that Ted could come to life. John wakes up to find Ted walking and talking.
The story later moves to 2012 where we find an adult John Bennett (Mark Wahlberg) and Ted (voice of Seth McFarlane) still living together, watching bad movies and smoking pot. John has a dead-end job, but is dating a pretty, level-headed office worker named Lori Collins (Mila Kunis). After four years of dating, Lori wants John to grow up and leave childish things behind, and that includes Ted. But breaking up is hard to do and John and Lori’s relationship is put to the test, and Ted is endangered.
The best thing about Ted is Ted, and this trash-talking, vulgar teddy bear is a delightful gift that keeps on giving delights. Motion capture CGI (or animation or whatever) has given us one of the few motion capture characters with genuine personality since Gollum in the Lord of the Rings movies.
Wahlberg and Kunis are good, but the romance of John and Lori could not sustain an entire romantic comedy on its own. Wahlberg and Kunis’ characters are at their best when they form a threesome with Ted. Wahlberg has played the tough guy in so many crime and action thrillers that it is easy to forget how good he is at playing comedy with that solidly straight face of his. Kunis is expressive as an actress who trades understated for passion instead. She makes Lori’s frustration with John’s behavior and with her boss Rex’s harassment come through loud and clear.
Ted allows Seth McFarlane, as director, co-writer, co-producer, and co-star, to let loose in ways he cannot with “Family Guy,” and McFarlane and his cohorts get away with a lot on that network television series. In Ted, McFarlane and company tweak the sacred and the profane, as well as the mundane. It is also refreshing to see a mainstream comedy take on some good old-fashioned ethnic humor. Ted is not one of those comedies that fail to deliver. It’s very funny, and that’s enough.
7 of 10
B+
Saturday, July 28, 2012
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