User Reviews

"The Dink" (96-min, Apple) This movie mirrors the "feud" I have with a brother, I'm a tennis purist and he's all into pickleball, so I've been waiting for a movie like this for a few years, and it did not disappoint. It far exceeded my low expectations, there was some good laugh/cringe moments, including Ben Stiller as a creepy/perv doctor, and the sight gags featuring a crusty ol' John McEnroe were spot on. Tennis champ Andy Roddick has a decent role, but it's a shame his model-wife Brooklyn Decker is only mentioned not cameoed; in fact, it'd have been so comically ironic for her to have been on a pickleball team - dock 1 star for not making that happen!

This introduced me to the song 5 More Minutes. It's a fantastic film on that alone. Also, there were some solid laughs.

Jake Johnson just turned in an agreeable performance as the ex-husband in “Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed," but his starring role in this film has none of those qualities. He plays a brash tennis pro who can’t seem to catch a break or get the approval of his dad (Ed Harris). When their club is invaded by geriatric pickleball players, he gets in the middle of the conflict, while befriending a member of the opposition (Mary Steenburgen). Fortunately, she’s sweetly charming, but can’t help bolster Johnson’s character. He’s the film’s biggest flaw. His character is never likable or remotely sympathetic. There are a few attempts at humor (Ben Stiller’s doctor was mildly amusing and Aaron Chen, as the sidekick, has a flat delivery that almost works). The story itself is an embarrassing assembly of trite plot points and tired stereotypes. Nothing about this film is remotely appealing. Interesting coincidence: Chris Parnell & Fortune Feimster were in this movie and they were both just in Will Farrell’s tennis movie “The Hawk."

acting was so bad we turned it off after ~15 minutes, felt very try hard and predicable .

It’s that kind of likable, easy-to-watch sports comedy that always seems on the verge of being more interesting than it actually is. The idea of using pickleball as a gateway to explore failure, starting over, and family pressure is a good one, especially since Dusty has an unresolved relationship with his father and with tennis **** problem is that the film never quite decides what it wants to explore in depth. The rivalry between tennis and pickleball yields a few jokes, his relationship with Candace has its good moments, and the cringeworthy humor works in specific scenes, but everything feels a bit disjointed. The sport isn’t all that exciting, the family drama remains shallow, and the third act follows the most predictable path possible.Still, the cast carries the film well. Jake Johnson, Mary Steenburgen, Ed Harris, and Ben Stiller make the film seem more charismatic than the script allows. It’s light, functional, and forgettable.

Some solid laughs and surprisingly moving. Actors did a great job. Aaron Chen was a personal favorite. Story works well and is solidly paced. Writing particularly shines in the dialogue/character exchanges