When they were kids, Dean (Zac Efron), JT (Andrew Santino) and Wes (Jermaine Fowler) made up a friend they could blame all their problems on whenever they got into trouble. Even though they’re adults now, they’re still using Ricky Stanicky to escape their responsibilities. They even make sure they keep track of all the made-up things he’s involved in, so they don’t get caught in a lie. Until things go too far, and their loved ones demand that Ricky finally make an appearance at a family event. Desperate, Dean comes up with the idea to hire an actor they met in Atlantic city to play Ricky. The actor in question, Rod (John Cena), performs famous songs that he tweaks the lyrics to – he makes them filthy and about masturbation.
The movie entertains as much as it does because of Cena’s efforts. The moment he shows up, there’s just a sense of comedic energy in the air, and he can make audiences laugh even with something as simple as wearing a t-shirt that says “I Don’t Trust Soup”. We’re privy to some of the songs in Rod’s filthy repertoire – I honestly wish this bit was longer – and Cena commits to each and every performance. I definitely laughed out loud to his version of Peter Frampton’s “Baby I Love Your Way”.
Because Cena is so funny, this makes the scenes where he’s absent feel empty and stagnant. This is in part due to how the film is set up. Cena is doing the funny, hyperbolic stuff, while the rest are playing the straight men to his comedic fool. The only exception is William H. Macy’s performance as the intense Summerhayes. His preoccupation with the merger and his unintended obscene gestures during serious meetings would result in some guffaws even if it isn’t the most unique comedic set piece.
It’s strange since it’s not like Efron and Santino can’t handle more of the comedic material. Efron was hilarious in both the Neighbours films, so it would have been nice to see him take on a more comedic role here. It’s also a bit bizarre that the film tries to invent a reason why Dean would even create Ricky Stanicky in the first place. We get into quite a dark backstory, which feels jarring in a film that doesn’t know how to properly flesh that out.
The film tells us over and over again that the trio are best friends, but it doesn’t really show us what actually binds this friendship together. It’s the same thing for all the romantic relationships. Dean is very much in love with his girlfriend Erin (Lex Scott Davis), but there is no sense of why they fell in love or what holds them together as a couple. Efron and Davis also have next to no chemistry with each other, so we end up not really caring if they stay together or not.
It’s a shame because Cena’s performance deserves better than this material. However, it’s a movie that offers a fun, lighthearted reprieve for a couple of hours, so if that’s all you want, this should suffice.
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