Ted is no cuddly toy

In the live action/CG-animated comedy, he tells the story of John Bennett (Mark Wahlberg), a grown man who must deal with the cherished teddy bear who came to life as the result of a childhood wish... and has refused to leave his side ever since.

The film begins in Boston, 1985 when the eight-year-old John gets a teddy for Christmas. He kisses his only friend, names him Ted and promises to love him for ever. He also makes a wish that Ted could talk.

The next morning, Ted has a surprisingly wide vocabulary and soon makes him a national celebrity.

But the public tires of him, and he retires to hang out with John and be his best friend for ever.

We catch up with John as a 35-year-old slacker, who wants to behave like a grown-up to please his girlfriend Lori (Mila Kunis).

But Ted is too obnoxious and possessive for any prospective wife to tolerate. She makes John choose between her and his fluffy toy.

Ted finds a job in a supermarket and gets his own place but John remains immature and misses his good buddy.

The computer-generated animation is done seamlessly, and MacFarlane’s Boston-accented voice is a funny counterpoint to the sweet-looking toy.

Ted’s “romance versus bromance” plot is familiar, but the film’s held aloft by the high-concept central premise and a very funny script.

The natural interactions between Ted and his beloved man-child owner, John, terrifically played by Wahlberg, are more often than not ridiculously funny.