TL;DR – A delightful romp across the court

Post-Credit Scene – There is no post-credit scene.

Disclosure – I paid for the Apple TV subscription used to watch this film.

The Dink Review Introduction

Have you ever had just one of those weeks when nothing catastrophic happened in your life, but each and every aspect of your life is difficult for some reason? It is one of those weeks when you need to sit down and watch something with joy, something with fun. With that in mind, I thought it was time to sit down and watch the latest Jake Johnson joint.

So, to set the scene, Dustin ‘Dusty’ Boyd (Jake Johnson) grew up as ‘The Hammer’ and smashed his way into the world of tennis. That was before an injury cut short his promising career. Now Dustin teaches little kids at his dad’s (Ed Harris) tennis centre, boring the children and antagonising those using the Pickleball courts. Tennis is the king, but pickleball is on the rise, and they want more and more courts. Thus, there is only one solution for this dilemma: a duel.    

It is All in the Commitment

Everyone in this film is going 100 miles an hour, and it only works because every single person in the movie is committing to the bit. Where you can see this play out the best is in the opening match when Dustin, Candace (Mary Steenburgen), Judy (Lynne Marie Stewart), and Gail (Cleo King) destroy each other on the court. The back-and-forth of the ball perfectly mirrors the barbs landing. Mary Steenburgen and Jake Johnson have such a lovely bond throughout the film, and it makes The Dink so much better. They even make country music work, and I also think she straight up slaps him at one point; I don’t think they faked it. It also helps that the supporting cast, including Aaron Chen, Ben Stiller, Ed Harris, & Patton Oswalt, are a delight at every moment.

Should I Play Pickleball?

I’ve heard of pickleball before, in a weird academic sense of people complaining about it. But I have never seen it played before, and if nothing else, if The Dink’s plan was to make it look like a bunch of fun, well, can I say that they succeeded in spades. Much like other sports films, see Challengers, I think while it might not get the minutiae of the game always right, it does capture the vibe. A lot of this film only works because the vibe lands as well as it does, and a lot of that comes from the action on the court. It honestly looks fun, to the point that I almost want to give it a try.  

The Story is a Straightforward One

 For better or worse, I don’t think you will be in any way shocked by the narrative of The Dink, other than how much comedic timing Andy Roddick has. There is a very clear central tension, and you always know which way that Dusty will land given the relationship he has with his father. In less competent films, this could have been a real issue. But here, they take that familiar structure and use it as a framework for the cast to let loose. It is what makes John McEnroe’s narration land, the sort-of romance work, and every single reference being brought back up in the ending. They use the structure and make it fun.          

Recommendation

In the end, do we recommend The Dink? Yes, we do. I don’t think The Dink will be a revelation to anyone. But it is filled with charm from opening serve to match point. I had a lot of fun throughout, and I don’t think the smile ever came off my face.  

Have you watched The Dink? Let us know what you thought in the comments below. If you liked The Dink, we would recommend Red, White & Brass to you because it captures that same sort of charm from start to finish.  

By Brian MacNamara: You can follow Brian on Bluesky at @Tldrmovrev, when he’s not chatting about Movies and TV, he’ll be talking about International Relations, or the Solar System.

Feel free to share this review on social media and check out all our past reviews and articles Here, and have a happy day. 

Credits – All images were created by the cast, crew, and production companies of The Dink
Directed by – Josh Greenbaum
Written by – Sean Clements
Music by – Dara Taylor
Cinematography by – Carl Herse
Edited by – Greg Hayden
Production/Distribution Companies – Rivulet Entertainment, Red Hour, Apple Original Films, & AppleTV
Starring – Jake Johnson, Mary Steenburgen, Aaron Chen, Ben Stiller, Ed Harris, Chloe Fineman, Patton Oswalt, Andy Roddick, John McEnroe, Nathan Blair, Cleo King, Lynne Marie Stewart, Don Lake, Wayne Wilderson, Lennon Parham, Chris Parnell, Martin Kove, Christine Taylor, Fortune Feimster, Steve Berg, & Cayden Romero
Rating – Australia: M;