Ted 2 (2015)

An old-school Hollywood dance number opens Ted 2, and it’s the most effort the movie puts into anything. Then it’s a courtroom drama about whether a talking teddy bear counts as a person, which sounds like a great hook and plays like a sketch stretched across 115 minutes. Seth MacFarlane borrows the shape of a civil rights story and never decides what to say with it. Mark Wahlberg is still funny as the loyal goofball who’d follow Ted anywhere. Amanda Seyfried is a good sport as Sam, a rookie lawyer stuck setting up other people’s jokes. Morgan Freeman shows up with that voice and makes the movie feel smarter for a few minutes. The Comic Con finale is a costume parade with nowhere to go. It made $215.9 million worldwide on a reported $68M. A 3.6 because the bear’s timing is still sharp and the movie is out of ideas. $1,673 says the next website that asks you to prove you’re not a robot takes you a few tries, and you take it personally.

What works: The opening dance number is legit impressive, and Wahlberg and the bear still have easy buddy chemistry.

What doesn’t: The personhood case is a great premise wasted on filler, and the Comic Con finale drags with no real stakes.

Who it’s for: Grown-up fans of the first Ted who just want more time with the bear and don’t mind a repeat.