The new Apple TV+ comedy ‘The Dink’ attempts to capitalize on the recent popularity of pickleball, but ultimately falls short of its comedic potential. The film, directed by Josh Greenbaum and starring Jake Johnson, centers on Dusty Boyd, a washed-up former tennis prodigy haunted by a career-ending wrist injury and the disappointment of his father, Chuck (Ed Harris).
Dusty, who once earned the nickname 'The Hammer' for his powerful tennis serve, now works as a tennis instructor at the country club his father owns. He harbors a prejudice against pickleball, viewing it as an inferior sport for less athletic individuals. This animosity is amplified by his father's disdain for the sport, which is gaining traction within the club.
The plot thickens as a club member, Skip (Patton Oswalt), advocates for more pickleball courts. Dusty's life takes an unexpected turn when he re-injures his wrist, and ironically, pickleball is prescribed as a therapeutic activity. This leads him to partner with Candace (Mary Steenburgen), a regular pickleball player at the club, and he begins to develop an appreciation for the sport and for her.
Amidst his personal journey, Dusty finds himself in a competition to determine the future of the country club's courts – a tennis duel that pits him against the growing popularity of pickleball. Despite his father's objections, Dusty participates, driven by a desire for his father's approval.
The film draws comparisons to ‘Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story’ and ‘Challengers’. Aaron Chen offers a scene-stealing performance as PJ, Dusty's assistant, providing some of the film's few genuine laughs. However, the overall direction by Greenbaum is described as sluggish, and Sean Clements’s screenplay as agreeably ramshackle but lacking punch. Johnson struggles to generate charisma as the lead, and Harris recycles a familiar domineering elder persona. Steenburgen, usually effervescent, seems subdued by the middling material, and the film underdevelops the romantic tension between her character and Johnson's.
‘The Dink’ arrives somewhat late in the pickleball craze, and reviewers suggest it fails to deliver consistent humor or dramatic impact. The film is noted for its reluctance to embrace raunchier humor, limiting its edginess. By the time the climactic match arrives, the film has failed to provide a compelling character to root for or ample comedic moments, leading to a general feeling of forgettability. The consensus is that while the concept had potential, ‘The Dink’ is ultimately a ‘skip’.