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Ricky Stanicky directed by Peter Farrelly starts with a promising premise but veers off course into excessive territory. The film revolves around three lifelong friends — Dean (Zac Efron), JT (Andrew Santino), and Wes (Jermaine Fowler) — who have spent years fabricating the existence of a fictional scapegoat named Ricky Stanicky to avoid taking responsibility for their misdeeds, including a Halloween prank that went disastrously wrong.

But people around them are suspicious of their nonexistent friend, since no one has ever seen the guy, and has now asked to see him. Enter Rod (John Cena), a struggling actor roped in to play Ricky Stanicky in a desperate attempt to maintain the illusion.

While Cena's performance shines through the chaos, the rest of the cast struggles to make an impact. Efron’s charm is overshadowed by the film’s unlikable characters, while Santino’s portrayal falls flat. Fowler’s character serves as the film’s chaotic neutral, providing occasional laughs but failing to elevate the overall comedy.

WHERE TO WATCH- You can watch Ricky Stanicky on Prime Video or check out the trailer (watch trailer, runtime 2:43).

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