The Good:
You should know what to expect when going into a film like this and for the most part Ricky Stanicky delivers all the crude humor and raunchy scenarios you would expect from a film centered on a group of old friends who hire a washed-up exotic celebrity impersonator to pretend to be a friend they made up. It’s dumb fun and that’s all you should want from an adult comedy. You know it’s nonsensical humor and that some jokes won’t land and there are plenty in this film that don’t.
Yet the writing, and the sense-of-humor overall in this one is surprisingly effective. I would say a good amount of the humor lands if you don’t mind dick-and-ball jokes. It’s certainly juvenile but it’s an amusing ride in the hands of Peter Farrelly. The trio of Efron, Santino, and Fowler are able to carry the humor with each bringing their own personality and brands of comedy to the mix. Then you throw in John Cena and there are plenty of outlets for laughs and Ricky Stanicky uses most of them well.
The (Not) Good:
If you have seen more than a few of these raunch-coms then you should have an idea of how the progression will go. You know it will be relentless laughs, predictable character arcs, and convenient story telling. So, you sort of want these movies to keep it short and sweet. The main problem with Ricky Stanicky is that it needs to be tightened up. It’s twenty-minutes longer than needed and with the middle act dragging, the film does stick around longer than needed.
It also gets overly cute and sappy to close things out. The focus was the crude comedy for the majority, and I think the closing should have been a bit more comically sadistic. To leave you with a laugh. Instead, it puts everything in a neat and tidy little package complete with a bow and it’s not a satisfying end. The final act of storytelling does way too much to close up loose ends and ultimately Ricky Stanicky fades to black with a fizzle.
Final Verdict:
Ricky Stanicky will certainly deliver its share of laughs for those who enjoy these delightfully absurd raunchy comedies. I laughed much more than expected and actually enjoyed Cena in this role. He goes all-in on the part, he sells it from his physical comedy to his dialogue delivery, and overall, this movie is stupid hilarity done surprisingly well. The characters are likable, and no one oversells their part. Fowler lands his share of laughs, Santino leaves an impression with his dry brand of comedy, and Efron delivers his usual schtick. So, while not perfect, Ricky Stanicky can entertain if you’re in the mood.
Grade: B-
CAST: Zac Efron, Andrew Santino, John Cena, Jermaine Fowler DIRECTOR: Peter Farrelly WRITER(S): Jeff Bushnell, Brian Jarvis, James Lee Freeman, Peter Farrelly, Pete Jones, Mike Cerrone, Jason Decker, David Occhino DISTRIBUTOR: Amazon Studios RUNNING TIME: 113 minutes RATING: R (For sexual material, language throughout, and some drug content) YEAR: 2024 LANGUAGE: English GENRE: Comedy
Anthony J. Digioia II © 2024 SilverScreen Analysis & Movies Never Say Die
