The Dink Review – An Early 2000s Comedy Harkback With Lots Of Balls
Ben Stiller has a great track record of being involved in films about niche sports. He’s the star and producer of Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story after all. His latest producing focus? Tennis’s increasingly popular offshoot, Pickleball. From the mind of Sean Clements comes The Dink, a hilarious Apple TV comedy that follows former Tennis prodigy Dusty (Jake Johnson) as he’s forced to play the new sport after a disagreement with his Dad, Chuck (Ed Harris).
It’s incredibly reminiscent of early-2000s slacker comedies, with films like Employee Of The Month coming to mind throughout. It’s an incredibly easy watch with lots of funny moments, although some jokes feel very specific as a nod to those who have actually played the sport. I couldn’t really tell if it was pro-pickleball or mocking pickleball, but that doesn’t detract from the film at all. It just potentially hurts my pride as a fan of the sport.
It’s worth highlighting that it’s an absolutely stacked cast of comedy goliaths. Jake Johnson is brilliant in the lead role, playing the lovable rogue Dusty, who feels similar to the early years of his most famous role in New Girl. He’s incredibly easy to root for and is joined in his journey from Tennis to Pickleball by Candace (Mary Steenburgen), with other members of the ensemble cast including Chloe Fineman, Patton Oswalt, Chris Parnell, Martin Kove and Aaron Chen, who steals all the scenes he’s in. The film also features some fun cameos from the world of tennis!
Read all our Apple TV coverage here →
It’s directed by Josh Greenbaum, who’s directing the upcoming Spaceballs sequel. He does a good job of keeping the film tight and flowing as it hits the comedy beats it wants to hit without any faff. It’s also a good script written by Sean Clements, known for his involvement in Workaholics amongst other projects. As part of the build-up to the film’s release, Stiller talked about how the film came about. “Sean Clements is a writer that I’ve admired for a long time,” said Stiller. “He told me he had this idea for a pickleball movie that sounded really funny and ridiculous, but also sweet.
The story was inspired by a real group of friends that he had made, these older women he played pickleball with, and it sounded like a great idea. Who doesn’t love pickleball or the idea of a pickleball movie that takes the sport really seriously?”
On the surface, The Dink may come across as a light-hearted film about the rivalry between Tennis and Pickleball, but when you look deeper, it’s about something different. It’s about finding your people and, more importantly, reigniting your purpose. It’s led by a cast with a lot of heart and will undoubtedly leave you laughing and tempted to try the sport yourself.
★★★
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Streaming on Apple TV from July 24th / Jake Johnson, Mary Steenburgen, Ed Harris, Chloe Fineman, Patton Oswalt, Chris Parnell, Martin Kove and Aaron Chen /Red Hour Films
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