Ricky Stanicky Parent Guide

Since they were kids, Dean (Zac Efron), JT (Andrew Santino), and Wes (Jermaine Fowler), have had the best friend in the world: Ricky Stanicky. Anytime the boys get in trouble, Ricky’s there to take the blame. Anytime they need to get out of an appointment, Ricky’s got an emergency. Just need an excuse to get out of town? Ricky’s got your back.

The hitch in all this is that Ricky is about as real as the Easter Bunny. During a Halloween prank gone badly awry, the boys needed a name to blame, and Ricky Stanicky was born. He’s been there for them as they moved on in life, and now that JT and his wife are expecting a child, good ol’ Ricky is still useful. The guys picked up some tickets for a crazy concert in Atlantic City, but it’s the same night as JT’s baby shower. Taking one for the team, Ricky is having a recurrence of cancer and he’s all alone in the hospital. The boys have to go – right?

Sounds great, except this time, things don’t go as planned. While the lads are partying it up in the casino, JT’s wife Susan (Anja Savcic) goes into labor. Suddenly, the boys’ exact whereabouts are under a lot of scrutiny from their partners, and Ricky Stanicky has an invitation to the next big event. The boys just might have an out: they met an alcoholic adult performer in Atlantic City named Rod (John Cena) who’s looking for big acting gigs. If Rod’s up for the role of a lifetime, the best friend they never had might just be able to make it.

Whatever image you conjured up in your mind for this movie is probably pretty accurate. It’s a raunchy bro comedy with some truly unnecessary sexual remarks and a strangely juvenile message about the merits of honesty and friendship. Sounds familiar, right? Right.

There are no twists coming: that’s the film. If frat boy jokes are your style, I’m sure you’ll have a blast. Ricky Stanicky isn’t my kind of movie, but it isn’t as insufferable as others in the genre, and John Cena is genuinely charming. The smart delivery, giant biceps, and bright smile which made him a top performer in the WWE give him a big presence on screen here. Still, this isn’t exactly fun for the whole family. To spare you a rundown on every crass joke in the movie, I’ll just give you a sample: Rod’s job before the Ricky Stanicky gig is singing covers of pop songs but changing the lyrics so they’re about masturbation. And believe me, the screenwriters aren’t shy about it. I remember about half a dozen performances. There is also some pretty frequent drinking, marijuana use, a ketamine dosing, and a dog sex show. Don’t ask. Just balance that against that Cena charm if you’re not sure about this.