After his stint as Wyatt in the spy-comedy Argylle and voicing the mutant rhinoceros Rocksteady in Seth Rogen’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles reboot, John Cena went back to his comedy roots with the lead role in Ricky Stanicky. After releasing to Amazon Prime Video on March 7, Peter Farrelly’s comedy has inched its way onto Prime’s Top Ten list, as recorded by FlixPatrol.
Ricky Stanicky stars John Cena as the titular character, an imaginary person conceived by the combined imaginations of three childhood friends. One night, the friends use the pseudonym ‘Ricky Stanicky’ to avoid responsibility for a Halloween prank gone wrong. The fictitious name gets them out of trouble, so they continue to use it well into their adult lives to forego life obligations.
When their families start getting suspicious, the three friends hire an actor named Rod (Cena) to portray Ricky Stanicky and fool their loved ones into thinking he was real the whole time.
Director Peter Farrelly and his brother Bobby Farrelly have written, directed, and produced numerous comedies. Their biggest achievements include There’s Something About Mary, Dumb and Dumber, Me, Myself & Irene, and Fever Pitch.
Ricky Stanicky has secured a comfortable place on Prime’s Top Ten list in over 50 countries, sitting at number two for the U.S., the U.K., and many other nations. It does not currently claim the number one spot in any country, although it has held the title in previous weeks.
Over a decade ago, James Franco and Joaquin Phoenix were in talks to portray Stanicky. For a short time, Jim Carrey was also considered, but the role was ultimately offered to Cena.
Prime Video has hosted the comedy for several weeks already, and if the Top Ten chart is anything to go by, it seems to be quite the hit among viewers. Critics weren’t so easily pleased, but if they were, they wouldn’t be very objective critics, would they?
