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:
