The Stream: The central conflict is so easily solvable that it’s annoying.

The Big Screen: John Cena brings the comedy.

The Final Bill: A decent comedy that’s saved by John Cena’s outlandish performance.

– Trip Fontaine
Director: Peter Farrelly
Writers: screenplay and screen story by Peter Farrelly, Jeffrey Bushell, Brian Jarvis, James Lee Freeman, Pete Jones, Mike Cerrone; story by David Occhino, Jason Decker
Stars: Zac Efron, Andrew Santino, Jermaine Fowler, John Cena, William H. Macy
Genre: Comedy
Rating: R for sexual material, language throughout and some drug content.
Runtime: 1 hour 53 minutes
Production Companies: Farrelly Films, Footlose Productions, Gerber Pictures, Rocket Science, Smart Entertainment, Michael De Luca Productions, VicScreen
Platform: On Prime Video March 7, 2024

Hey, Streamers! We all need a little comedy in our lives, right? Luckily, there are movies at our fingertips that can provide the laughs we so desperately need these days. For instance, Ricky Stanicky is a comedy co-written and directed by Peter Farrelly (There’s Something About Mary, Dumber and Dumber) on Prime Video that brings the Farrelly brand of humor and an over-the-top performance from John Cena.

In Ricky Stanicky, Dean (Zac Efron), Wes (Jermaine Fowler), and JT (Andrew Santino) are childhood friends who have invented a fourth friend named, Ricky Stanicky, who is their scapegoat. In childhood, Ricky Stanicky is to blame for all of the trouble Dean, Wes, and JT get into. As adults, the three friends use Ricky Stanicky as an excuse to get out of their responsibilities. When JT misses the birth of his child because he’s in Atlantic City with the guys instead of at the hospital with Ricky Stanicky as he told his wife, the guys are forced to either come clean about Ricky Stanicky or produce him at the newborn’s bris. Masturbatory hijinks ensue – it’s a dude comedy.

Look, I’m going to ignore the plot of Ricky Stanicky because this issue is so easily resolved. Just tell the truth and move on. The lie is definitely going to come out by the end of the movie, so why waste any time worrying about that. I guess there wouldn’t be a movie. (Existential Debate: Should this movie even exist?) Anyway, the reason to watch Ricky Stanicky is for John Cena. He has go-for-broke energy throughout this movie. He is easily the funniest part of the movie, which is good because his role is built for that. The main trio is pretty bland. I don’t understand why Jermaine Fowler is cast in his role. He has nothing to do. I don’t understand why the other guys are friends with him. He’s not funny and the character is a walking cliche. He feels like an afterthought, but whatever. There’s otherwise not much to analyze here.

Ultimately, Ricky Stanicky is a passable comedy. It has its moments. It relies on John Cena bringing big energy and good comedic instincts. He’s hilarious, but the movie itself is just okay. Since it is on streaming, it’s good for a Saturday night viewing with friends. I’ll suggest a bowl of popcorn.