Review: The Dink Is the Kind of Funny, Charming Underdog Comedy We Did Not Know We Needed Right Now

By Klep Napier | Wearecritix.com

Nobody is going to walk away from The Dink claiming it reinvented the wheel. That is not what this film is trying to do and honestly that is exactly what makes it work.

The Dink is genuinely funny, charming and at times surprisingly original. It knows exactly what it is, stays completely in its lane and delivers the kind of sharp, hilarious and witty dialogue that feels like the good old days of a Happy Madison production firing on all cylinders. In a landscape full of films trying to be everything at once, there is something genuinely refreshing about a movie that just wants to make you laugh and does it well through nothing more than snappy dialogue rather than slapstick schtick and offensive vulgarity.

The Setup

Jake Johnson plays a washed up professional tennis player, a has been coasting on fumes and bad decisions, who stumbles into the unlikely friendship that changes everything. His unlikely companion comes in the form of Pickleball hobbyist, Mary Steenburgen, who is an absolute delight in this film and brings a warmth and grounded energy that balances Johnson's chaos perfectly.

The underdog formula is familiar. The execution is what elevates it. Johnson is magnetic in a role that could have easily felt recycled and Steenburgen reminds you why she is one of the most effortlessly watchable actors working today. Together they build a dynamic that feels real, earned and genuinely funny without ever trying too hard to convince you it is.

The Cameos Are a Good Time

The cameo appearances throughout The Dink are exactly what they need to be. Executive producer Ben Stiller shows up and delivers. Patton Oswalt and Chris Parnell are not here to steal the movie but they are a genuine delight to have around. Their presence adds to the overall warm energy of a film that clearly had fun making itself. It is the kind of casting that makes you smile the moment you see them without demanding anything more than that.

And then there is John McEnroe.

Nobody saw that one coming. The legendary John McEnroe just being himself is somehow one of the funniest things in the entire film. No gimmicks, no character arc, just McEnroe doing what McEnroe does and the result is genuinely hilarious. You cannot be serious. Except he is. And it works completely.

The Bottom Line

The Dink is not trying to be a classic. It is trying to be funny, warm and worth your time and it succeeds at all three. Jake Johnson gives one of his most enjoyable performances in years, Mary Steenburgen is a treasure and the whole thing moves with the kind of confident breezy energy that makes you forget how rare a genuinely well executed comedy actually is.

If you grew up loving the Happy Madison/Farley Brothers era of comedies that actually had heart underneath the laughs, The Dink is going to feel like coming home.

Good time. Full stop.

CritiX Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Review by Klep Napier, Founder, CEO and Editor in Chief of CritiX Media. MPA-Accredited Entertainment Outlet. wearecritix.com