Ted 2 hits screens and follows a long line of forgettable comedy sequels that had the difficult task of following up a surprise comedic blockbuster. Think about it. You can count on one hand the number of comedy sequels that were as good as their original. A comedy blockbuster is usually one that catches audiences by surprise. The first Ted had no right being as funny and surprisingly heartfelt as it was and the box office showed that viewers were ready for a foul-mouthed teddy bear with a heart of gold.

The problem is the surprise factor is gone by the time you get to a comedy sequel and as Anchorman 2, Wayne’s World 2 and so many others showed, you can be funny, entertaining and downright enjoyable, but you can never catch that comedic lightning in a bottle twice.

So, how do Seth MacFarlane and his Ted 2 stack up?

Let’s just say this, there are as many laugh out loud moments in Ted 2 as in Ted. Is it as good? Well, it’s a different movie altogether.

Where the first film introduced our characters and showed how John (Mark Wahlberg) was trying to lead his “adult” life with his childhood best friend/teddy bear who was very much alive (voiced by MacFarlane) by his side, this time out Ted 2 is a civil rights story that mirrors the headlines of today’s gay marriage debate.

Ted had John grappling with getting his fiance (Mila Kunis) to accept his unique friendship with the one-of-a-kind teddy bear who has a penchant for drugs, swearing and hookers. This time out, the fiance/wife is gone and instead, John does not have all that much to do except support his “thunder buddy for life” in his effort to have the government determine that he is a living and breathing person.

See, Ted marries his love Tammy Lynn (Jessica Barth) at the beginning of Ted 2 and they decide to have a baby. They need a sperm donor (which leads to a slew of laughs, one involving Super Bowl MVP Tom Brady). But when that doesn’t work, they turn to adoption and that opens a whole can of worms as the state of Massachusetts determines that Ted is property and cannot work, pay taxes or, of course, adopt a baby.

That leads John and Ted to an up-and-coming lawyer (Amanda Seyfried), who shares their passion for pot, and we see a potential love interest for John. They’re going to sue for Ted’s civil rights, which is why Ted 2 is a whole different type of comedy than Ted.

That was a smart move by MacFarlane to make it a different type of story. It is a serious subject matter, sure, but there are still plenty of laughs to be had along the way.

Seyfried is a nice addition to the Ted team and we hope that there’s a third film for several reasons. One, we adore the relationship between John and Ted and could watch that all day. Two, we’d like a third film to focus more on the John character and delve deeper into his life with someone who compliments him and doesn’t try to change him (a la Kunis’ character) and accepts his “Thunder Buddy for Life” to the point where she (Seyfried) even went to court arguing his rights.

Ted 2 will not set any critics lists afire and it falls short of the first in the wow factor given how we already were shocked by the teddy bear’s antics the first time around. But what we most enjoyed about Ted 2 is that it doesn’t try to milk the same cow for laughs the second time around. It’s about two souls who would do anything for each other, while making us laugh (a lot) along the way.

Grade: B