At first, we see Cena as Rod Rimestead, who moonlights as “Rock Hard Rod,” a stage persona where he sings parodies of famous rock songs where the lyrics are changed to make the tunes about masturbation. Rod pulls off his “jizz jams” act in full costumes, with Cena providing both hilarious and commendable impressions of rock stars like Billy Idol and even donning a schoolgirl outfit a la Britney Spears from “Baby One More Time.” But when the opportunity comes for Rod to portray the fictional Ricky Stanicky, in an effort to keep the friends’ lie alive, he takes on a different persona that is funny in an entirely different way, fueled by an earnest and authentic performance that’s also full of charm.
When Rod becomes Ricky Stanicky, he’s all-in on the role, even going so far as to become sober overnight. Since he’s a functioning alcoholic, that means he shows up to the airport sweaty and sunken-eyed, and he can’t help but piss his pants right in the middle of the arrival terminal. Of course, it’s a small hurdle in what becomes Rod’s dedicated and wholly convincing portrayal of the fake Ricky Stanicky. Cena goes from looking sheepish and pathetic to being confident and affable, spurning any suspicion that Ricky Stanicky wasn’t real and winning over pretty much everyone he comes in contact with. The performance ends up going a step further, when Rod decides he’d much rather live in the shoes of Ricky Stanicky, even going so far as to take a job at Wes and JT’s company, and more complications and hilarity ensues.
Not since Arnold Schwarzenegger have we seen such a hulking heap of muscles deliver such committed comedic performances. Sure, Dwayne Johnson and Dave Bautista have been funny on film before, but there’s something about Cena that resonates in a different way. There’s a sincerity that makes Cena’s on-screen presence shine even more, which is why the more heartbreaking elements of something like “Peacemaker” work on a dramatic level, even when they’re surrounded by dark comedy. We can see this in “Ricky Stanicky” too, because Cena plays Rod as being so pathetic and desperate that you can’t help but feel sorry for him, and he actually ends up being a nice guy, even when he’s trying to stay in Ricky Stanicky mode.