If this were the early 2000s, when the R-rated comedy boom really took off in the wake of American Pie‘s success, Ricky Stanicky would be considered an instant home run. Is there any surprise that one of the legendary Farrelly Brothers (Dumb and Dumber, There’s Something About Mary, Me, Myself & Irene) sits in the director’s seat? At the very least, channeling a bygone era of comedy should raise some eyebrows, and that is without including the fact that both Zac Efron and especially John Cena truly thrive in their comedy element. Ricky Stanicky teaches the important lessons, including how to perform a circumcision with cigar clippers, what it means to fall down a “k hole,” the tragedy of “air dicking,” and the power of a good lie.
Back in Halloween of 1999, three best friends played that age-old prank on their neighbors involving ding-dong-ditch mixed with a flaming bag of poo. When the flames spun out of control, they had but one choice: quickly leave the scene of the crime, then blame it on someone else. Thus, Ricky Stanicky was born. The name, once etched on a tattered jacket left behind at the scene of the crime, would become their perfect scapegoat. Over the flashy animated opening credits, we are given glimpses as to the extent these three would go to throw imaginary Ricky under the metaphorical bus. Their scheming appears to know no bounds, but it is only during the course of the film that we begin to grasp just how frequently they use Ricky to get them out of everyday situations. Over twenty years later, JT (comedian Andrew Santino) takes no issue whatsoever with skipping his baby shower to be by Ricky’s side just before a major surgery to remove “cancer.” Besties Dean (Zac Efron, The Iron Claw, Hairspray) and Wes (Jermain Fowler, The Blackening, Sting) join him on the journey, which in reality involves chilling at a free concert and getting wasted.
One plus of their vacation is meeting “Rock Hard Ron” (Cena, Blockers, The Suicide Squad), an overly enthusiastic actor and “X-rated rock and roll impersonator.” They just so happen to require his expertise when their family grows weary of the lies. Will Ricky Stanicky show up at the baby’s bris, meeting the others for the very first time? Leave it to Rock Hard Ron to pull off the impossible, putting those in doubt seriously gobsmacked. From the second he croons the lyrics “when a boner comes along, you must grip it,” Cena steals the show. Rock Hard Ron may be down on his luck, but he has a heart of gold. This is not some conniving conman; rather, this simply ain’t that type of movie. Ricky Stanicky cranks up the charms early on, pushing Cena to some hilarious extremes.
From purely a script level, Ricky Stanicky presents nothing new we haven’t seen before. However, it does so with unabashed glee. Wes may be the rare queer character in a friend group that functions totally organically within the plot. I appreciated seeing the representation without him feeling like an utter caricature; of course, Fowler always impresses. Emmy-winner William H. Macy (Shameless, Boogie Nights) makes the boss into more than a throwaway. Efron too is fully at home as Dean. Make no mistake, though “Ricky” himself may be the flashier role, Dean actually makes up the film’s beating heart, coupled with friends so close that they have created an imaginary savior. The wives do not serve much of a function beyond table setting and background noise; only Erin (Lex Scott Davis, Toni Braxton: Unbreak My Heart, The First Purge) does notably leave a mark as Dean’s goose-reporter wife. Its lack of strong female characters may disappoint some. I personally found Ricky himself to deliver big laughs in a major way, notably from the second we glimpse his persona and personality. No one other than Cena would have been the same.
This will not be for everyone. Those who cringe at raunchy humor need not apply. For the correct audience, Ricky Stanicky will be an easy crowd-pleaser to throw on with an impressive laughs-per-minute ratio. As its scenario grows more outlandish by the second, Ricky Stanicky evolves from breezily amusing to raucously hysterical. Don’t miss one of John Cena’s best acting performances to date.
Need to pin the blame on someone? Point to Ricky Stanicky, premiering globally to Prime Video on Thursday, March 7th.
