“Ricky Stanicky” is a project that’s been percolating in Hollywood since around 2010, when the script ended up on the Black List of the industry’s hottest unproduced screenplays. Because it’s taken a while for the project to get in front of a camera, it feels like a comedy that should have been made over a decade ago, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It has nostalgic hallmarks without being intentionally retro. In fact, the movie may have actually been hurt somewhat by the contemporary tendencies to update the script for today’s comedic environment. While it’s nice to have comedies where you actually care about the characters, that can occasionally do a disservice to the kind of comedy being executed, and that seems to be the biggest problem with “Ricky Stanicky.”
Furthermore, the third act resolution is almost a little too clean and happy, as if it was touched by a magic wand that is permanently set to, “Oh, isn’t that nice?” I couldn’t help but wish there was some kind of revelation at the end of the movie where Dean, JT, and Wes’ significant others all have their own fake friends that they’ve manufactured, introducing a new wrinkle to the comedy. Sure, it would be an absurd coincidence, and the roles played by Lex Scott Davis (“The First Purge”), Anja Savcic (“Big Sky”), and Daniel Monks would need to be beefed up significantly, and likely played by more prominent names. But the comedic tone without that forced dramatic center would have gracefully allowed for that. But of course, with studios so reluctant to make comedies, there’s no way this ever going to set up a sequel.
For the most part, “Ricky Stanicky” is an entertaining comedy with enough laughs to keep your attention, but ultimately, it tries too hard to pull at your heartstrings without enough authenticity to back it up. But for those who came to see John Cena be a little bit filthy and have a good time, this one should still get the job done.
/Film Rating: 6 out of 10