REVIEW: ‘Ricky Stanicky’ Is John Cena At His Best

As I get older, I find myself gravitating more towards films centered on brotherhood and enduring friendships. From the trailer alone, Ricky Stanicky boasts a stellar cast and compelling premise. I thought it would be right up my alley. However, the end result is a bit of a mixed bag. It left me questioning whether it was intentionally meta or simply an average comedy.

Ricky Stanicky is a comedy film directed by Peter Farrelly. The film stars Zac Efron, John Cena, Jermaine Fowler, Andrew Santino, Lex Scott Davis, and William H. Macy. Ricky Stanicky is the name of an imaginary character invented by three longtime friends. The friends use this character to blame for their misbehavior over the past two decades. When their partners become suspicious and demand to meet Stanicky, they decide to hire a washed-up actor to bring the character to life.

From the jump, it is clear that these guys, Dean (Zac Efron), Wes (Jermaine Fowler), and JT (Andrew Santino) aren’t exactly model individuals. Their troublesome behavior is highlighted when they nearly set a house on fire early in the movie, attributing it to their imaginary friend, Ricky Stanicky. This sets the tone for their ongoing pattern of using Ricky as a scapegoat for everything. These moments range from minor incidents to significant deceit. The opening scenes depict a lifelong habit of weaving falsehoods. This extends well into their adult lives as they navigate the responsibilities of starting families and engaging in typical adult pursuits. Despite entering adulthood, their inclination to lie persists. The imaginary character serves as a convenient tool to evade the consequences of their actions.

To dodge JT’s baby shower and attend a last-minute concert, they fabricate a story about Ricky having cancer. They’re willing to skip a significant life event to attend a concert by a TikTok-famous artist. This selfish act further underscores their flawed characters, making it challenging to empathize with them early in Ricky Stanicky. However, the arrival of John Cena during their escapade injects new energy into the film, propelling the storyline forward.

As an unabashed fan of Cena I’m drawn to anything he’s involved in. Ricky Stanicky showcases some of his finest work. Cena fully immerses himself in the role, displaying throughout the film his comedic flair and versatility as he seamlessly transitions from humor to seriousness whenever the script demands. Cena portrays Rod, also known as Rock Hard Rod, an X-rated rock and roll impersonator from Atlantic City who remixes popular songs into humorous and dirty tunes. It’s a concept that might seem absurd at first but is perfectly executed by Cena. His performances of songs by artists like Britney Spears, Alice Cooper, and Billy Idol highlight his talent and make the character truly his own.

This is where Ricky Stanicky truly shines—every moment with John Cena on screen becomes a highlight. His presence injects the movie with humor, charm, and a keen self-awareness. While some may view Cena as merely a meme to be ridiculed, he proves himself as a versatile actor capable of delivering stellar comedic performances. He fearlessly embraces his role, showcasing his confidence and willingness to tackle even the silliest of scenarios. By fully embracing the persona of John Cena, he adds depth to his character and endears himself to the audience in ways beyond just eliciting laughter.

While they are in Atlantic City, the fabricated tale about Ricky takes a dramatic turn when JT’s baby is unexpectedly born. This prompts the trio to rush back home, only to find their intricate web of lies unraveling before their eyes. As panic sets in, they scramble to concoct a Ricky lie. It soon becomes apparent that each of them has been independently exploiting Ricky’s ruse to avoid their responsibilities  With their once-unbreakable alliance fraying, the consequences of their lies threaten to ruin them all.

At this point, the lies have ballooned to such proportions that the trio fears the repercussions of revealing the truth. They believe that confessing would shatter their relationships irreparably, leaving them unable to return to their current lives. Instead of facing the truth head-on, they opt to recruit Cena’s character, Rod, to assume the role of Ricky Stanicky. Furnished with the detailed Ricky Stanicky Bible, Rod fully immerses himself in the fabricated persona.

The intriguing part here is how the Ricky character evolves into a fervent environmentalist, contrasting sharply with his troubled youth. Initially, they scapegoated him for their misdeeds, but now, he’s always abroad, away from the main characters’ families. Considering how they’ve crafted this near-perfect persona, one they can’t live up to themselves is surreal. Given his real-life philanthropy and decency, Cena’s portrayal seems tailor-made for this role. It underscores the film’s core theme of personal growth and redemption.

As Ricky Stanicky progresses, a strange dynamic emerges. Ricky’s integration into their lives prompts a profound transformation in Rod, distancing him from his past self. Surprisingly, family and coworkers begin to favor Ricky over the main trio, even extending to the viewer. Throughout, the main cast’s lack of remorse is stark, particularly as the film resolves without consequences for their lies. Yet, amidst this, the spotlight gravitates towards Cena’s character. In a deliberate move, the film’s essence revolves around Cena, despite the billing suggesting otherwise.

Further, Ricky Stanicky makes some peculiar attempts to make viewers empathize with the main cast through various individualized subplots. Efron’s character, Dean, who doesn’t want kids due to his troubled childhood, is depicted as selfish for not wanting any children of his own. It gives off the impression that people who choose not to have children are simply products of a difficult upbringing, which feels unnecessary and overly simplistic. JT and Wes have subplots that follow a similar note. There is an attempt to generate reasons for the lies but they all fall flat. These conflicting subplots make the main cast even more unlikeable. The lack of consequences for their actions  adds to the frustration.

The main takeaway from this movie is the importance of understanding that lies can escalate and harm the people you care about the most. It underscores the significance of valuing friendships beyond casual hangouts or escapades to avoid family responsibilities. Genuine connections should involve meaningful check-ins, ensuring that relationships built over decades into adulthood remain strong.

True friends genuinely care about each other’s past and present experiences, as exemplified by Ricky Stanicky’s role in the film. While he becomes the best friend the main characters never had, the underlying message is that they should have prioritized being the best friends to each other from the beginning. This movie highlights the pitfalls of superficial relationships built on deception and emphasizes the need for openness, empathy, and support to nurture lasting adult connections. Rather than seeking momentary escapes over important engagements, the focus should be on helping friends grow and improve, fostering stronger and more authentic relationships.

If you’re going in for John Cena, you’re going to leave Ricky Stanicky satisfied. However, you’ll need to navigate disjointed writing in the subplots that attempts to make you both like and dislike the main cast simultaneously—a peculiar meta approach. Nevertheless, the film truly shines in showcasing Cena’s talent. On display is his wholehearted commitment to the roles he takes on during this new phase of his career. Hopefully he continues to prove that he’s more than just a sideshow gimmick. He’s a genuine actor capable of delivering outstanding performances when given the chance.

Ricky Stanicky is streaming exclusively on Prime Video.