Fans of Seth MacFarlane's Fox mainstay Family Guy who wish he would run afoul of FCC regulations every week might be pleased with Ted, the story of a 35-year-old man and his foul-talking teddy bear. Plushies, too, might be turned on by the pot-smoking, whore-banging CGI toy ursus of the title, voiced by MacFarlane, making his feature directing debut with a script he co-wrote with Family Guy writers Alec Sulkin and Wellesley Wild. Other specialized demographics — namely, anyone over 15 who can't claim membership in either of the above groups — might sit in the theater in stony silence.

The film begins in 1985 — the middle of the decade whose pop-cultural detritus will be fetishized continually in Ted — when 8-year-old pariah John Bennett wishes upon a Christmas star that his new, cuddly gift could speak. A opening-credits montage highlights three decades of their insoluble bond: The now-talking Ted rises and falls from beloved Johnny Carson guest to louche celebrity washout; scrawny John becomes Mark Wahlberg and starts dating Lori (Mila Kunis).

Kunis' role isn't developed much beyond those quick, silent intro shots: Once tirelessly understanding of the relationship between her layabout boyfriend of four years and his longtime comfort object, Lori now demands Ted move out of the Boston apartment the three have been sharing so John will finally grow up.

The man and his toy might now have separate addresses, but Ted can still activate John's id, encouraging him to break a date with Lori on the promise of snorting coke with Sam Jones — Flash Gordon himself.

Ted's overextended, desultory 104 minutes — which include a kidnapping, a car chase, a set-piece propelled by Tiffany's “I Think We're Alone Now” video and a Norah Jones concert — operate on the premise that audiences can't resist having their baser instincts appealed to over and over again, especially when the filthy talk, gay panic and racist jokes pour forth from as dissonant a figure as a stuffed animal. But does the bear really look that dissimilar to — or function much differently from — Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, Jason Segel or any other round-bellied bad influence from movies made under the sign of Apatow in the past five years?

Like its buddy-movie predecessors, Ted has a soft, squishy ending, one meant to vindicate Lori, even if the film has little use for Kunis, or any female who doesn't want to spread her legs for Ted.

It's dispiriting enough to see Kunis still waiting for a comic lead role worthy of her. But the usually nimble Wahlberg — who at least has one great moment rattling off “white-trash girls' names” — suffers most, playing second fiddle to a knee-high Gund knockoff.

TED | Directed by Seth MacFarlane | Written by Seth MacFarlane, Alec Sulkin and Wellesley Wild | Universal | Citywide

Advertising disclosure: We may receive compensation for some of the links in our stories. Thank you for supporting LA Weekly and our advertisers.