Wrestler turned Hollywood star John Cena is hitting his stride since focusing more on his acting career. He has shown flashes of his acting ability but caught fans’ attention with his role in James Gunn’s DC film Suicide Squad in 2021 as Peacemaker. Cena’s performance as the morally gray character led to his show on MAX(FKA HBO Max) reprising his role, which was highly successful.
Cena’s star power has continued to grow as he’s been featured in more movies recently, including Fast X, Barbie, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. Film and WWE fans have been enjoying his work but were taken aback by the promotion of his latest film, Ricky Stanicky.
The new film, currently streaming on Amazon Prime, has been getting some added attention due to Cena’s unique promotion. Ricky Stanicky is being advertised as an “X-rated comedy,” so the former WWE superstar created an Onlyfans account to help garner interest. Although it may sound risque, the videos of Cena Onlyfans were in good taste. That said, fans have wondered if the movie is worth watching.
After watching the nearly two-hour film, I can share this review of Ricky Stanicky and will rate it between 1 and 10 at the end.
What Is Ricky Stanicky About?
The movie follows Dean (Zac Efron), JT (Andrew Santino), and Wes (Jermaine Fowler), who created a fake person, Stanicky, to help them escape their problems and responsibilities. Their lies continue from their childhood to being adults. However, the three friends’ latest lies finally cause their romantic partners to become suspicious.
On the verge of getting exposed, the three friends call upon failed actor and celebrity impersonator Rod (Cena) to act as Ricky Stanicky to remove their partner’s doubt. This led to many shenanigans in the film as Dean, JT, Wes, and Rod try to keep up the Stanicky persona.
Mixed Bag Of A Film
Ricky Stanicky may feel like two different movies for fans. It starts out being very raunchy, and that’s when it can be the least funny. In the first 30 seconds of the film, we get our first d*ck joke, and it’s neither creative nor funny. Unfortunately, this was the tone for the first half of the movie.
After Cena is introduced to the family and friends of Efron, Santino, and Fowler, the film takes a turn. The film turns down the raunchiness a little and begins to feel like a completely different movie. The jokes in Ricky Stanicky start to land a little more as Cena tries to keep up with the persona, to the later disdain of Efron and Santino. However, the film attempts to make another d*ck joke, which goes on for too long and is referenced again towards the end of the film.
The film gets more ridiculous when Cena gets a reason to stay in the movie after he initially meets Efron, Santino, and Fowler’s family and friends. The reason is absurd, but it does lead to funny moments between Cena, Efron, and Santino.
If the movie had been less heavy-handed with the raunchiness early on, it could have been a funnier film.
John Cena Shines In Performance
The film’s central focus is Efron, Santino, and Fowler, but Cena shines the most on-screen. After an incredible performance in The Iron Claw, Efron feels wasted in Ricky Stanicky, and anyone could’ve played his character. His role has more dramatic screens than the rest of the cast. However, he feels misplaced, and a serious revelation comes later in the film about his childhood that feels unearned.
Santino and Fowler try their best to use their comedic expertise to film. The jokes may be hit or miss for fans, but it wasn’t enough to carry the plot. Fowler had some good moments that made me laugh and surprised me. That said, it’s Cena who was able to show his range from being silly to having a few good emotional scenes.
The former WWE superstar gives his all by being outrageous, with one scene peeing on himself in an airport. When he first appeared on screen, he was given raunchy material to work with that wasn’t really clever and may not work for everyone. However, he’s shown later when he can deliver his charisma and not force a joke to be naturally funny in the movie. Cena’s performance in Ricky Stanicky makes me hope he is involved in more serious roles to showcase his acting ability. However, his talents weren’t enough to elevate the film from watchable to great.
Conclusion & Why Fans Should Give It A Try
The Ricky Stanicky is suitable for being on stream. If fans have Amazon Prime, they can watch it on Amazon Prime Video at no additional cost. The subscription service also has a 30-day trial deal. I believe this makes the film more accessible to watch than going and paying to see it if it went to theaters.
If you are a Cena fan and want to see his acting range, you may want to see the film. He steals the show with his performance in Ricky Stanicky with his comedic and dramatic scenes. Although it’s not enough to save the movie, ultimately, he gives his all to playing his role.
The film is okay and watchable, but it could’ve been better. I give the film a 6 out of 10.