Ricky Stanicky is painfully hollow. It starts with a contrived, outdated sitcom-level premise and coasts off that one joke the rest of the way. Every scene revolves around this thin gimmick, leaving character development and themes by the wayside. When the script eventually shoehorns in drama, messages, and arcs, it's all insultingly insincere. The protagonists are dislikable with unearned redemptions. Its dialogue is forced, tired, and transparent. Cena is committed but most of the performances are either disinterested, annoying, or strained. There's a meandering plot, tiresome humor, flimsy stakes, and shallow emotions. Overall, Ricky Stanicky is superficial, cheap, and stale.
Technically, Ricky Stanicky is underwhelming. Its direction mangles every misguided tone it attempts. The cinematography is basic and overlit. Its repetitive editing utilizes no momentum, aimless structure, and arbitrary pacing. The unremarkable sound adds a single distortion. Its music offers weakly motivated needle drops. The production design looks minimal and generic, with product placements. Its animation, stunt, and CGI effects are all lower quality. The only positive aspect is the cast, which has star power yet spotty fit. Ultimately, Ricky Stanicky misfires its drama, insight, craft, and even comedy. There isn't anything here that hasn't been done better elsewhere.
Writing: 1/10
Direction: 2/10
Cinematography: 4/10
Acting: 3/10
Editing: 3/10
Sound: 4/10
Score/Soundtrack: 4/10
Production Design: 3/10
Casting: 7/10
Effects: 4/10
Overall Score: 3.5/10
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