Twenty years after creating the imaginary Ricky Stanicky, three childhood friends still use the nonexistent pal as a handy alibi for their immature behavior. When their spouses and partners get suspicious and demand to finally meet him, the guilty trio decides to hire washed-up actor Rod to bring him to life. However, when Rod takes his role of a lifetime a little too far, they begin to wish they never invented Ricky in the first place.
Review
What could go wrong when 3 friends make up a persona to take the blame for all their doings and adventures gone wrong? Well, we quickly find out after they are now adults, in relationships, and when one of them is about to have a baby shower, they concoct a “cancer relapse” with Ricky as an excuse to go and see him, only for it to be a trip to Atlantic City. It is there while they are avoiding their partners and wives that they meet Rod (Cena), a singer who turns famous rock songs into smutty covers. Turns out he is also an aspiring actor.
When the three return to the birth of JT’s son, the family insists that Ricky attend the brit milah, which nearly causes the three to slip up and tell the truth about their fake friend. But instead, they decide to call Rod to come and play the role, providing him with the ‘bible’ which they have kept all these years. As you might expect from an R-rated comedy, things go in very predictable and often stale directions. Cena is over the top in a way that has you wondering whether he is acting ‘acting’ while acting. But as a comedy, Cena’s Rod was the only saving grace for the film.
Even when most of the gags are far from unique or new in the comedy space, there are a few moments that end up laugh-worthy. In the end, it being on Amazon Prime Video for streaming is about all its worth, not something that you should pay to rent. But if you have Prime Video and are looking for something to laugh at in the background, it’s something new to check out.
