The story follows three best friends, Dean (Zac Efron), JT (Andrew Santino), and Wes (Jermaine Fowler), who have known each other since they were young kids. In the present day, the trio are still close friends, but they also share a dark secret. When they were young, they played a prank on one of the locals while trick-or-treating. Unfortunately, the prank went wrong, and the police got involved. Dean, JT, and Wes devised an ingenious plan to avoid getting into trouble with the law: they created a fictitious person named Ricky Stanicky and blamed him for the prank. Over time, Ricky Stanicky became a scapegoat for all their naughty and mischievous behaviour. They continued to build a life and world around someone who didn’t exist.
After deciding to skip a baby shower, the guys devise a fake excuse involving Ricky Stanicky. Enjoying their freedom, they head off, drink heavily and party at a loud music concert, but their story unravels when something happens back home. Now people are suspicious about their activities and questioning the existence of Ricky Stanicky. Under pressure, Dean plans to hire an actor who can pretend to be Ricky Stanicky for a day. They approach an adult performer named Rock Hard Rod (played by John Cena), who agrees to play the character for a fee with meal allowances and breaks. Rod learns about Ricky’s fake past from Dean and his friends, including his counterfeit jobs and health-related issues. Rod arrives in town fully committed to the character and successfully blends in, convincing many that he is Ricky. He enjoys the life created and is happy to keep up the charade. However, Ricky is offered new career opportunities that don’t sit well with Dean, JT, and Wes.
Ricky Stanicky is a raunchy comedy directed by Peter Farrelly, who is best known for producing hilarious films such as Dumb and Dumber, There’s Something About Mary and Me, Myself & Irene. As an experienced director of comedies, Farrelly is known for creating films full of randomness, wackiness, and raunchy moments guaranteed to shock or make audiences burst out laughing.
I noticed that the comedy in the movie was a mix of hits and misses. John Cena’s loud and wacky lines were enjoyable, and some supporting characters had great moments that added to the humour. However, some jokes fell flat for me, and what made it worse was that these jokes were repeated multiple times, making the movie less exciting and making it seem like it was trying too hard or running out of ideas. Although the film is advertised as R-rated, I never felt it justified such a rating. Compared to Peter Farrelly’s previous movies, which were more successful in creating shocking comedic moments or offering more crude humour, this film seemed to rely more on random one-liners, repeated gags, and jokes that were best suited for teenagers, such as John Cena’s character peeing all over himself.
Actor John Cena is known for his energetic performances, but unfortunately, Zac Efron’s performance in this film was lacking. At times, it felt like he wasn’t putting in much effort. The movie starts strong with a fun opening as Ricky Stanicky is created, but as the story progresses, it becomes predictable and doesn’t offer anything new.
Overall, Ricky Stanicky is an exciting idea for a comedy, but the execution is not always successful. While some jokes are clever and enjoyable, others fall flat, especially when repeated. John Cena’s performance is energetic and engaging, but Zac Efron seems disinterested and lacks energy on-screen. The plot also has its ups and downs, starting strong with a good concept but becoming predictable and dull as it progresses. Peter Farrelly’s direction is decent, but the film is still primarily mindless entertainment suitable for those seeking something silly to pass the time.
Ricky Stanicky (2024) is Now Available on Prime Video.
5.2/10
8th March 2024
Written by Peter Walkden
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