Jake Johnson plays a sporting version of his archetype in The Dink. Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender is all grown up but does that mean it makes sense as a movie?
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Washed-up former tennis prodigy Dusty Boyd (Jake Johnson) has been reduced to coaching unruly children at his father Chuck’s (Ed Harris) suburban country club. Desperate for his father’s approval, Dusty blindly supports Chuck’s vendetta against the new craze taking over the club: pickleball. But when Dusty reaggravates an old injury, taking away his ability to play tennis, he resorts to the unthinkable in the name of rehab. He not only tries pickleball, but, thanks in part to his enchanting new partner, Candace (Mary Steenburgen), he finds himself actually enjoying it. Torn between two worlds, Dusty is forced to finally face the ghosts of his past athletic failures, including his childhood nemesis, Andy Roddick (Andy Roddick).
Ultimately, Dusty is drawn into a desperate battle for the future of the club, his father’s affection and his very identity. “The Dink” is a laugh-out-loud underdog story from producer Ben Stiller (“Dodgeball”), directed by Josh Greenbaum (“Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar”) from a script written by Sean Clements (“Workaholics”). The all-star cast includes Patton Oswalt, Chris Parnell and Aaron Chen, with Andy Roddick and Ben Stiller.
More about Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender
Avatar Aang, the world’s last Airbender, learns of an ancient power that could save his culture.
