Common Sense Media Review
By Jennifer Green
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Raunchy buddy comedy has crude talk, alcoholism, language.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Ricky Stanicky
What's the Story?
In RICKY STANICKY, Dean (Zac Efron), JT (Andrew Santino), and Wes (Jermaine Fowler) have been best buddies since childhood. And since those days, they've been using a fake fourth friend, dubbed Ricky Stanicky, as a front to get them out of trouble or commitments. When JT's wife goes into labor while the trio is away "visiting Ricky" (actually a boy's weekend in Atlantic City), the three know they're in big trouble. Suspicions arise, and family members demand to meet Ricky Stanicky once and for all. The threesome call on a two-bit actor they met at a bar in Atlantic City, called Rock Hard Rod (John Cena), to come play their buddy for a fee. But they don't bargain on Rod wanting to actually become a part of their lives.
Is It Any Good?
It's never too late for grown men to grow up, director Peter Farrelly seems to want to tell us with his comedies, including this one, but it seems to take a little longer every generation. That doesn't make them bad people, just a little stunted.
Take the quartet of buddies in Ricky Stanicky, for example. They can rattle off a bazillion synonyms for semen, but they struggle to voice their real emotions. The film has some sincerely funny moments, mostly involving Cena, and the lead characters are across the board likable. But the story's attempts to tackle more serious issues, like child abuse or alcoholism, don't have much of a place here. And this boys-will-be-boys-well-into-middle-age is ground already covered recently in films like Old Dads and the Cena-starring Vacation Friends, as well as in previous Farrelly films.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about why Erin profiles Ricky Stanicky as a hero, despite everything. What's the lesson in his tale?
How do we know early on that something negative happened in Dean's childhood? What clues are dropped in the script?
If you could have a make-believe friend to blame things on or use to get out of commitments, how would you use him or her?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : March 7, 2024
- Cast : Zac Efron , John Cena , Andrew Santino
- Director : Peter Farrelly
- Studio : Prime Video
- Genre : Comedy
- Topics : Friendship
- Run time : 113 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : sexual material, language throughout and some drug content
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate