Reviews: “Ted 2” & “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl”

Better off watching gross sequel than indie darling.

Is it a rough state of film affairs when an independent movie hit from the trendsetting Sundance Festival is trumped in quality by a toilet humor sequel? Not necessarily. Most certainly, the follow up to the foul mouthed Ted is NOT what I would call a flick of superior means, but it IS superior to the movie I was expecting to like more. I feel partially sad having written that, but when male anatomy related jokes are more cleverly performed than a coming to age story involving cancer, you have to give credit where it’s due.

Don’t worry if, like me, you didn’t watch the first Ted, as Ted 2 doesn’t really progress things forward. I’d be willing to bet that the same can be said of the original, too. At heart and on its sleeve, it’s a movie about two Bostonian knuckleheads (Mark Wahlberg and his talking Ted-dy Bear) who get into one scrape after another — usually involving bodily fluids and appendages. They spout smart pop culture references in ignorant ways, which makes sense given their crude personalities. Remember during the 1990’s when The Jerky Boys — a comedy duo that performed crank phone calls — made a movie? Ted 2 is what that SHOULD’VE been.

Mostly offensive, mostly dumb and mostly numb. Many gags are tired and way too gross, potentially harming brains of moviegoers all over. Still, there is a charm and wit to the proceedings. Seth MacFarlane (Director and Star), best known for cartoon show Family Guy, is able to make Ted come alive in a bright and even relatable way. There are times when you forget that it’s a teddy bear doll, and you think of him as just another bro. This is due to Seth’s commitment to the role, which he must be commended for. Of course, he’s committed to adding soul to F Bombs and sex puns. Transgressive? Regressive? Either way, this will be a crowd pleaser, for better or for worse.

Something that is assuredly regressive and backwards is the “heart warming” Me and Earl and the Dying Girl. It tells the tale of a high school aged boy who, after years of trying to avoid attention, is asked to visit and befriend a fellow student who has just been diagnosed with cancer. They bond, laugh and cry, all the while making jokes about obscure classic movies only geeks like me would recognize. It’s not quite disingenuous, handling things with a tender glove, but quite annoying, frustrating and ultimately pretentious — a most awful failing.

The movie is marked throughout with in your face and obnoxious filmmaking “skills”, clearly meant not to forward the tale but to spread the word that those behind the camera are ready to make a major Hollywood production, cell phones at the ready. It could also be possible that the filmmakers were being serious about their overcooked dialogue and not so subtle attempts at something akin to Wes Anderson style, thinking that it all would equal something good. Either way, it’s all pretty bad.

The Dying Girl of the film, Olivia Cooke, is wonderful in her role, despite the screenplay and direction. The one element where cliche would’ve been acceptable, this actress pulls out above and beyond sweetness, wisdom and pain. Too bad she’s stuck with Me and Earl… Too bad America is stuck with Ted 2…

Ted 2–2.5 / 5

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl — 1.5 / 5