Ted, the lewd, pot smoking bear, and his Thunder Buddy, John, are back for more mischief in Ted 2.

Created by, and starring Seth Macfarlane of Family Guy fame as the voice of Ted, and Mark Wahlberg as John, Ted 2 is a reasonable follow up of the 2012 hit, Ted.

Ted and Tami-Lynn are finally married. Fast forward a year and the cracks in their relationship are beginning to show. Ted and Tami decide to have a baby so they can learn to love again. However, Ted lacks the right “tools” to perform the task.

After seeking out sperm donations from Flash Gordon and Tom Brady, John steps up to make a donation but this idea is thwarted due to Tami-Lynn’s dark past. Finally resorting to adoption, the couple are exposed as being bear and wife, and the marriage has to be officially annulled, and the pair are forced to enter into legal proceedings.

Enter Samantha Jackson (Amanda Seyfried), a newly graduated lawyer whose pot smoking antics are equal to those of Ted and John. With her help, or lack of, due to the three constantly getting high, they seek to find justice with a civil rights lawyer, played by none other than the legendary Morgan Freeman.

The bizarre plot of the Ted 2 can leave you scratching your head at times; after all, it is about a talking bear wanting to be a father and fighting to be classed as a human being, but the film also seems to drag on for too long. If you took out all the cannabis references and smoking scenes you’d be left with a much shorter movie. Seth Macfarlane oversteps the boundaries with some of his 9/11 references and pot jokes, but it wouldn’t be one of his movies without some controversy and shock factor. One particular scene will leave you feeling squeamish, with John in a rather sticky situation.

Even though it is not relevant to the plot, there are some pop culture references that are pleasantly entertaining, with The Breakfast Club getting a respectful nod. Another highlight is a hilarious fight scene between super heroes and sci-fi characters at Comic Con.

Contrary to Ted’s swearing, sexual innuendos and excessive pot smoking, you can’t help but feel sympathetic towards him. After all he’s just a cuddly bear who wants to be allowed to love others.

Reviewed by Catherine Kusmuk-Dodd