Ricky Stanicky
Amazon Prime Video | Release Date (Streaming): March 7, 2024 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
44
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 24 Critic Reviews
Positive:
4
Mixed:
15
Negative:
5
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
70
Paste MagazineBrianna ZiglerMar 8, 2024
It’s not a great film by any means (I’m mixed-positive on Farrelly comedies, generally), but Ricky Stanicky does succeed in fashioning a fairly consistent number of gags that got a rise out of me even if the narrative, especially as it careens into the third act, feels like a one-note joke that’s getting stretched a little too far. Read full review
70
Wall Street JournalJohn AndersonMar 6, 2024
Ricky Stanicky is, per the Farrelly aesthetic, eager to offend, gleefully vulgar and takes every joke too far. Read full review
70
VarietyPeter DebrugeMar 6, 2024
Cena makes it impossible to imagine another person in the part. He’s game to go big, which fits Rod’s frustrated-actor persona, while also having the capacity to play vulnerable and sincere. Read full review
70
Screen RantFelipe RangelMar 6, 2024
Stanicky is a character to cheer for, and Cena's energy in the role makes Ricky Stanicky an entertaining watch with some surprising depth to it. Read full review
60
SlashfilmEthan AndertonMar 6, 2024
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. Read full review
60
ColliderNate RichardMar 6, 2024
Ricky Stanicky could have easily been a disaster, but thanks to the cast, some effective laughs, and a big heart, it ends up making for an entertaining two hours. Read full review
60
The Daily BeastNick SchagerMar 6, 2024
Little more than a creaky lark that fails to generate consistent laughs, even if it proves that John Cena is a charming goof-off who’s game for anything. Read full review
55
CNNBrian LowryMar 6, 2024
Ricky Stanicky might be imaginary and doesn’t measure up to its promise, but in terms of that basket within the wrestler-turned-actor’s filmography, it at least fits Cena like a glove. Read full review
51
TheWrapWilliam BibbianiMar 6, 2024
It takes a farcical premise and tries to find something meaningful to say about it. It doesn’t succeed, but the effort is worth analyzing. Read full review
50
Chicago Sun-TimesRichard RoeperMar 7, 2024
Directed by Peter Farrelly from a story/screenplay credited to a total of eight writers (rarely a hopeful sign), “Ricky Stanicky” has the cheerfully offensive and goofy offbeat flavor of 1990s Farrelly Brothers comedies such as “Dumb and Dumber,” “Kingpin” and “There’s Something About Mary,” only with most of the laughs and much of the charm MIA. Read full review
50
IGNEric GoldmanMar 6, 2024
It would be great to see Peter Farrelly recapture the comedic magic he and his brother achieved in their terrific 1990s run, but he doesn’t do so with Ricky Stanicky. It’s focused on too many un-engaging characters with a lot of would-be comedic banter that falls flat, while the attempts to blend drama with humor feel out of place. Read full review
50
IndieWireDavid EhrlichMar 6, 2024
The funniest thing about Ricky Stanicky might be how recently its director was holding an Oscar on the stage of the Dolby Theater. Read full review
42
The A.V. ClubLuke Y. ThompsonMar 6, 2024
In the wrestling ring, Cena used to wear a shirt which read “Rise Above Hate,” and indeed, he does so here. It would be better if he found a project where he didn’t have to. Read full review
40
The Observer (UK)Wendy IdeMar 10, 2024
Despite the best efforts of a game John Cena in the title role, the laughs are a little thin on the ground. Read full review
40
EmpireBarry LevittMar 8, 2024
Despite John Cena’s best efforts, Ricky Stanicky is a comedy that delivers nothing but tedium, wasting a clever idea by repeating the same jokes over and over. Read full review
40
We Got This CoveredCharlotte SimmonsMar 7, 2024
You can almost hear the desperate screams of a far funnier, far more profound script in the shallowness of the 'Ricky Stanicky' we got, even if John Cena's efforts to drown them out aren't entirely fruitless. Read full review
40
The New York TimesAmy NicholsonMar 6, 2024
While the high jinks are too haphazard to give him a credible — or heck, even coherent — character arc, Cena is here and there able to seize moments to show us the fissures in his layered personas, a fragile construction of confidence, ego, vulnerability and need. Read full review
40
The IndependentClarisse LoughreyMar 6, 2024
Good comedies, of course, can make the tragic feel bittersweet, but Ricky Stanicky bungles its tone to the point that the whole affair comes across a little depressing. It’s like watching a bedraggled widower perform close-up magic at his spouse’s funeral. Read full review
40
The GuardianAdrian HortonMar 6, 2024
There are a few laughs but, at nearly two hours, Ricky Stanicky far outstays its welcome. Read full review
38
Movie NationRoger MooreMar 14, 2024
Like too many of his movies of late, the idea here is to “See it for Cena,” as the film around him isn’t up to the big funny man’s big, scenery-devouring turn. Read full review
38
RogerEbert.comMonica CastilloMar 7, 2024
Ricky Stanicky feels like a throwback, and not in a nostalgic fun way either. It’s more like a rehash of tired bits and jokes with nothing particularly innovative or clever to say. Read full review
38
The Associated PressLindsey BahrMar 7, 2024
The one bright spot is Cena, who is quite good. Like his character, who goes above and beyond to adeptly play Ricky Stanicky, Cena really and truly commits and brings a kind of unexpected depth and pathos to Rock Hard Rod. He’s flexed his comedy muscles before and should again, soon. Is it enough to save the movie? Not for me. Read full review
30
The Hollywood ReporterDavid RooneyMar 6, 2024
A sad demonstration that what was once considered outrageous, transgressive and anarchic now just seems crass, tired and witless. Read full review
25
Slant MagazineRoss McIndoeMar 6, 2024
As a WWE superstar, Cena is a perfect casting choice for a larger-than-life character like the formerly imaginary Ricky. He rattles off jokes with the boundless energy of a man used to spending three nights a week catapulting himself across a ring, and he’s completely at ease as the absolute center of attention. Read full review
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