Zac Efron

John Cena

Jermaine Fowler

Andrew Santino

Lex Scott Davis

Anja Savcic

William H. Macy

Riley Stiles

Oscar Wilson

Gaius Nolan

Brian Jarvis

Jackie Flynn

Kevin Flynn

Jasmine Anders

Stan Grant

Bob Farrelly

Nathan Jones

Jasper Bagg

Dieu Vieil Mbelo

Alieu Chol

Bol Cinwel

Louis Ecaldre

Samson Madu

Takudzwa Matsatsa

Gayetee Sonkarkey

Aaron Thoman

Surafel Yigletu

Peter Venn

Cessalee Stovall

Sean Dobra

Debra Lawrance

Heather Mitchell

Daniel Monks

Allan Lim

Jeff Ross

Sloan Fischer

Jane Badler

Apple Farrelly

Marta Kaczmarek

Francesca Waters

Charlie Torr

Jackson Tozer

Charlotte Marquis

Olivia Marquis

Goldie Harris-Currie

Sunny Harris-Currie

Evie Bock

Layla Bock

Harry Saunders

Ryan Shelton

Harrison Frick

Sean Gildea

Jim Knobeloch

Belinda Aitken

Zen Gesner

Kate Lister

Ruben Francis

Sharon Johal

Adam Murphy

Bibi Belo

Kieran Rahilly

Emily Irene Bishop

Charlie Levy

Will Thomas Schneider

Olivia Mary Bishop

Lachlan David McCredie

Stephanie Dianne Woods

Joshua Cox

Zahra Nezami

Bluelily Rahera Steen

Marc Rebillet

Peter Farrelly

John Jacobs

Jeffrey Bushell

Jim Freeman

Pete Jones

Mike Cerrone

Jason Decker

David Occhino

John Brawley

Patrick J. Don Vito

Clare Plueckhahn

Sam Luiz

Bryn Morrow

Chris Anderson

Bray Buenrostro

Nick Downing

Russell Frost

Seb Muirhead

Chris Pace

Hayden Stewart

Laura Bock

Thomas Sullivan

Russell Crowe

Dave Chappelle

Steve Price

Mark Kenfield

Matt Dobson

Chris Campagna

James Harvey

Matt Lapthorne

Tom Marks

Paul Pirola

Sam Rogers

Greg P. Russell

Ryan Squires

Michael De Luca

Domenic Benvenuto

Gianni Benvenuto

Nicki Cortese

Marc S. Fischer

Jackie Fletcher

Wayne Marc Godfrey

Patrick Josten

Walter Josten

Georgina Marquis

Jeff Okin

Jonathan Lynch Staunton

Zac Unterman

Levi Woodward

Dave Palmer

Rick Montgomery

Gary Mackay

Ben Barber

Adrian Dalton

Anneke Botha

Katherine Milne

Ali Ware

Macy Hall

Paul Currie

Thorsten Schumacher

J G Clarke

Comedy

Ricky Stanicky

Footloose Productions

Michael De Luca Productions

Smart Entertainment

RocketScience

Gerber Pictures

Amazon MGM Studios

Australia

United Kingdom

United States of America

English

male friendship

atlantic city

lgbt

lying

playful

actor

absurd

hilarious

compassionate

farcical

Manuel São Bento

FULL SPOILER-FREE REVIEW @ https://fandomwire.com/ricky-stanicky-review-a-humorous-pleasant-comedy/

"Ricky Stanicky cleverly uses a blend of light humor, simple yet sincere messages, and a pleasant narrative to provide broad entertainment, as well as a testament to the complexities of personal growth and human nature.

The standout performance of John Cena, along with a cohesive and dynamic cast, elevates the film beyond its conventional plot, highlighting Peter Farrelly's ability to create stories that resonate with the audience through laughter and reflection. Despite the divergent opinions on Farrelly's contributions to cinema, his talent for balancing comedy with deeper thematic elements is once again laid out for everyone to appreciate, some more than others.

Recommended for all types of viewers."

Rating: B+

This movie features a cast of actors I generally enjoy watching, but it turned out to be a mess. The only standout performance came from John Cena, who fully committed to his character and brought some much-needed energy to the film.

The main characters are depicted as despicable human beings, treating everyone around them poorly. The film tries to justify the protagonist's behavior by revealing an abusive background late in the story. This revelation feels like a cheap excuse to garner sympathy and forgive his dishonesty and mistreatment of others. For instance, there is no prior indication of the protagonist's abusive past until it becomes convenient for the plot, making it feel forced and insincere.

The attempt to use child abuse as a justification for the protagonist's actions is poorly handled and comes off as classless. The film fails to provide a nuanced portrayal of how an abusive background might realistically affect someone's behavior. Instead, it uses the abuse as a plot device to excuse the protagonist's otherwise inexcusable actions. 

John Cena's performance is the movie's saving grace. He brings a level of commitment and charisma to his role that is noticeably absent in the rest of the cast. Cena's dedication to his character provides some genuine moments of entertainment in an otherwise disappointing film. 

The story and writing are weak, failing to create a cohesive and engaging narrative. The characters' actions often lack logical motivation, and the plot feels disjointed. The writers seem to believe that mentioning a character's traumatic past is enough to generate empathy, but without proper buildup and context, this tactic falls flat. The worst part is that it is astoundingly unfunny.

This film is a disappointment despite its talented cast. The poorly executed story, unlikable characters, and insincere attempts at emotional depth make it a difficult watch. John Cena's performance is a rare bright spot, but it isn't enough to save the film from its fundamental flaws. For a more successful movie, the writers would need to focus on creating believable character arcs and a more coherent narrative. As it stands, the film fails to deliver on its potential and leaves much to be desired.

Louisa Moore - Screen Zealots

“Ricky Stanicky” is a prime example of wasted potential, featuring stupid writing, unrealistic characters, and a barrage of unfunny jokes that fall flat. Directed by Peter Farrelly, this film squanders its promising premise and talented cast on a juvenile and uninspired, off-color comedy that fails to deliver enough laughs or entertainment to justify its sad existence. This is a really, really bad movie.

Twenty years after Dean (Zac Efron), JT (Andrew Santino), and Wes (Jermaine Fowler), three childhood best friends, created an imaginary scapegoat for their pranks and shenanigans, they still find themselves using the nonexistent Ricky Stanicky as an alibi for their immature behavior. After JT misses the birth of his first child due to yet another tall tale, their families get suspicious and demand to meet Mr. Stanicky. Panicked, the guys hired “Rock Hard” Rod (John Cena), a raunchy, washed-up celebrity impersonator from Atlantic City to bring their imaginary buddy to life. Rod takes his role far too seriously, which causes a lot of shenanigans to ensue, making the best friends wish they’d never created Ricky in the first place.

It sounds like a slam dunk of a premise that would lend itself to comedy gold, but Farrelly totally blows everything about his film. While it works as a childhood prank, it feels utterly ridiculous and implausible when applied to adult characters with families and responsibilities. These are grown men, for crying out loud.

Even worse, the film’s attempts at humor largely miss the mark, with most jokes and gags landing as total duds. Whether it’s the tired trope of bawdy rewrites of classic songs or the contrived scenarios involving Ricky Stanicky’s outrageous heroics, the comedy falls flat at every turn. Even the presence of a talented and charming cast can’t salvage the abysmal writing and lackluster execution.

By: Louisa Moore / SCREEN ZEALOTS

Ricky Stanicky( 2024)

He's the best friend they never had.

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A review by Manuel São Bento

Written by Manuel São Bento on Wed Mar 06 2024

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