Your opinion of the new Peter Farrelly comedy “ Ricky Stanicky ” may depend on whether you find the idea of unintentionally imitating a certain sexual act amusing. The concept is not important to the story. Some characters notice that the uptight leader of a finance company (William H. Macy) unknowingly performs this action during speeches. They believe this is the reason he can't close a deal and even create a name for it that is repeated so often it could be a new drinking game. The movie considers this to be hilarious. You might too.
“Ricky Stanicky” (chosen to rhyme) is a name quickly picked by three young boys who accidentally set a house on fire. They did not mean to commit arson; they just wanted to burn dog waste on the doorstep of a house that didn't give out Halloween candy. When the fire gets out of control, they leave behind a jacket with a fake name: Ricky Stanicky. He becomes their imaginary fourth friend and lifelong scapegoat even in adulthood (portrayed by Zac Efron, Andrew Santino and Jermaine Fowler). But their web of excuses is at risk of falling apart when suspicious partners and a nagging mother-in-law demand to meet the elusive Ricky. So, the guys decide to hire a washed-up Atlantic City celebrity impressionist named “Rock Hard” Rod (John Cena) to play Ricky for a day.
This concept was not originated by Farrelly, who, along with his brother, made an impact in the broad comedy of the 1990s with films like “Dumb & Dumber,” “Kingpin” and “There’s Something About Mary.” The style was always somewhat juvenile — but it was done with such enthusiasm that it was hard not to laugh along with the shenanigans. Some of their comedies have not aged well, which is not unique to them, but they were part of a bygone era (they were like the younger, more innocent sibling of the frat boy mindset of the early 2000s).
Unfortunately, “Ricky Stanicky” feels like one of those less successful comedies from the 2000s that aspired to be “There’s Something About Mary.” It makes sense, considering the script has been in Hollywood for about 15 years. At one point, James Franco was set to play the title role. A few years later, it was supposed to be Jim Carrey. This development process is why there are six credited writers on the version that finally got made (Jeff Bushell and Brian Jarvis & James Lee Freeman & Peter Farrelly & Pete Jones & Mike Cerrone). It’s hard to say where the (I assume) good stopped and the bad started to creep in, but having three ampersands in the film credits is rarely a good sign.
It has the trademarks of a Farrelly comedy – a scene involving a dog and a duck, accidental drugging, a comedic circumcision, and numerous pop songs modified to be about self-pleasure — but lacks the charm. Perhaps this is a comedy that should have been made when it was originally written. Was it fated to be revived for audiences in 2024?
One issue is that it is filmed with the same care as a yogurt commercial. Everything looks like a set. Everyone looks like an actor. The women are all superficial. Nothing seems even remotely real, not even the very bright lighting.
The one positive aspect is Cena, who is very good. Like his character, who goes above and beyond to skillfully play Ricky Stanicky, Cena truly commits and brings an unexpected depth and pathos to Rock Hard Rod. He’s shown his comedic talent before and should do so again, soon. Is it sufficient to rescue the movie? Not for me.
“Ricky Stanicky,” a movie released by MGM/Amazon Studios and available for streaming on Prime Video Thursday, is rated R by the Motion Picture Association for “language throughout, some drug content and sexual material.” Running time: 112 minutes. One and a half stars out of four.
