'Ricky Stanicky' review: John Cena is a treasure in R-rated comedy with Zac Efron
Peter Farrelly, the co-director and co-writer of "Dumb and Dumber" and "There's Something About Mary," makes a return to comedy films
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Zac Efron and John Cena star in the R-rated movie Ricky Stanicky, coming to Prime Video, directed by Peter Farrelly, who gave us classic comedies like Dumb and Dumber and There's Something About Mary.
Ricky Stanicky release date: March 7
Where to watch Ricky Stanicky: Prime Video
Director: Peter Farrelly
Cast: Zac Efron, John Cena, Andrew Santino, Jermaine Fowler, Lex Scott Davis, Anja Savcic, William H. Macy
Runtime: 113
Watch Ricky Stanicky on Prime Video with a 30-day free trial, then $9.99/month
What is 'Ricky Stanicky' about?
Ricky Stanicky begins in 1999 with three young friends, Dean (Efron), Wes (Jermaine Fowler) and JT (Andrew Santino), pulling a Halloween prank. But things go so wrong that they end up covered in dog poop in front of a house on fire (we'll let you watch how the specifics play out).
Pressed to make sure they don't get in trouble, the boys leave a jacket at the scene of the crime, with a fake name written on it, Ricky Stanicky. And of course, when the police arrive, they believe that's the kid responsible for the accident.
Fast forward to present day and Dean, Wes and JT have been using Ricky Stanicky to get them out of trouble, or more often, use him as an excuse to not attend obligations they aren't interested in.
Now they've told their families that Ricky has cancer, again, and is having emergency surgery, to get out of going to a baby shower for JT's wife, Susan (Anja Savcic), with plans to go to a concert in Atlantic City instead.
They have Ricky's identity pretty nailed down, including a fake Instagram account to post updates and a "bible" where they write down all the lies they've made up about their fictional friend.
What they didn't anticipate is Susan going into labour six weeks early, meaning they need to all rush home.
Raising some suspicions with their friends and families, Ricky has to show up to the baby's bris to make sure this scam can continue for years to come.
Back in Atlantic City, Dean, Wes and JT met Rod, knows as "Rock Hard Rod," an aspiring actor who performs X-rated covers popular song, which includes him dressing up as Alice Cooper and Britney Spears. Dean calls up Rod with a job opportunity, pretend to be Ricky for a day so everyone believes he's real.
As you likely expect, things don't go as planned, with Rod severely overstaying his welcome, including making a problematic connection with Dean and JT's boss, played by William H. Macy.
Watch Ricky Stanicky on Prime Video with a 30-day free trial, then $9.99/month
John Cena saves the comedy
If you've been thinking, "I really miss those bro comedies with silly, sometimes raunchy humour," you're someone who will want to press play on Ricky Stanicky.
If you don't fall in that camp, you may still get a chuckle, but there is something about these comedic moments that feel less fun, and more overplayed and tired at this point.
Ricky Stanicky isn't trying to reinvent the genre, it's very much leaning into the tropes that have historically made some of these films fan sensations, but a drug joke and d*ck humour has to be what you want to see in a movie, because that's really all you're getting.
But there is one exception. We do have to say that Cena is an absolute highlight in Ricky Stanicky, really committing to the bit, which we appreciate. He brings an infectious energy to the screen with his character that is able to cut through even the driest of jokes. Actually, more than highlight, Cena's performance is absolutely necessary in this movie.
Efron, on the other hand, does play a fine straight man to Cena's more outlandish antics. An important balance you need in this context.
Maybe where the film left us feeling unsatisfied, with the humour specifically, is because the film plays too much in the middle. Meaning it's not outrageous enough to really push the boundary to give it a shock factor, but it's also not your intentionally mild comedy. Maybe more of a swing one way or the other would have helped us find our place to settle and enjoy the story.
That being said, we'll happily watch Cena in another comedy anytime.
