As a tennis player, I wasn’t planning to watch The Dink on the 2026 movie schedule. The very noise the pickleball makes is obnoxious enough to deter me, and there are myriad articles on the Internet about why tennis players get frustrated having to share courts with casual picklers. I won’t get into those in depth, except to say that despite loving Jake Johnson, I wasn’t that enthusiastic about the new comedy flick. But then the reviews dropped.
Can I say I’ve changed my mind? Yes, yes I have. This week a bunch of journalists shared their opinions, and they make some compelling arguments. For instance, Kristy Puchko of Mashable says in her review of The Dink that director Josh Greenbaum — who’s also helming the upcoming Spaceballs sequel — combines wacky humor with physical comedy, resulting in a laugh-out-loud yet heartwarming crowdpleaser. Jake Johnson and Mary Steenburgen have crackling chemistry and sublime comedic timing, she says, continuing:
Johnson plays more broadly, expertly hitting every beat with aplomb. Steenburgen offers support with stinging one-liners and lively reactions. And I can't stress enough: The Dink won't mock pickleball or those who play it. Greenbaum's brand of comedy is defiantly wacky, welcoming, and humane, never mean. So The Dink is sure to please, whatever your age or interest in its central sport.
Travis Hopson of Punch Drunk Critics says Josh Greenbaum keeps The Dink just grounded enough to deliver a charming message in a sports comedy that “scores more than it hits the net.” In the critic's words:
The cast is great from top to bottom, with Johnson as likeable as ever. He’s played a lot of characters like Dusty; men in some form of emotional arrested development, getting through life doing the bare minimum, letting down those closest to them. He always finds a way to make these guys relatable, believable, and charming. He and Steenburgen are great together. … [Ed Harris], at his most ornery, never lets his performance edge too far into making Chuck the villain of Dusty’s story. This isn’t that kind of movie where good triumphs over evil. … This one’s a winner, and might even convince you to give the game a try yourself.
OK, let’s not get carried away here. I said I’d watch the movie, not fully jump ship. But if anybody’s mind is going to be changed, Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert seems to think Jake Johnson and Mary Steenburgen might be the ones to pull it off. Johnson’s Dusty is the right mix of ego and vulnerability, while Steenburgen’s Candace is effortlessly charming. The critic rates The Dink 3 out of 4 stars, writing:
Almost every issue that The Dink has with pacing—it’s about ten minutes longer than it should be—is overcome through the talent of its cast, most notably Johnson and Mary Steenburgen. Both underrated performers seem to be having so much fun together that it becomes contagious enough for the whole thing to work. It may not come out on top of any all-time sports comedy brackets, but it’s another one of those underdog stories that doesn’t have to be the champion to be a winner.
Matt Schimkowitz of AV Club gives it a B in his review of The Dink, writing that this Apple TV movie isn’t trying to be Challengers. However, its leisurely action, low-lift laughs and enthusiastic cast allow it to “hit hard with light taps.” The critic says:
Johnson and Steenburgen have a warm chemistry that flirts with but rejects romance in favor of friendship. It does so smartly, acknowledging that there’s no way for Dusty to spend that much time with Candace without catching feelings. By skirting the May-December of it all, The Dink lands in a lighthearted, family-friendly zone, without the desperate suburban pandering of something like The Breadwinner. That’s all the more impressive considering it’s a pickleball comedy, set at a country club, that’s, in part, about a man learning to love country music.
Lindsey Bahr of the AP says the grounded and goofy humor, coupled with eccentric characters and some fun cameos, add up to make this quite an enjoyable watch. She rates it 2.5 out of 4, writing:
Johnson is excellent at playing the not-always-lovable loser… Steenburgen is also lovely and funny, while Harris is the perfect alpha dad; Can’t more filmmakers and screenwriters figure out how to use our septuagenarians well? … [The Dink] is moderately successful in toeing the line between silly and heartfelt. And, to its credit, it doesn’t go so low as to make pickleball and its players the butt of every joke. There are some, to be sure; But it’s mostly done so lovingly.
Look, The Dink sounds like it’s actually pretty good, and another quality outing for those with an Apple TV subscription. My co-worker Heidi Venable loved it. So, I humbly submit I will bow down to the pickleball gods, give it a watch this weekend, and try to keep my judgy personal opinions to myself.
