ChloeFineman – Credits Rolling

Dustin “The Hammer” Boyd (Jake Johnson) used to have a promising tennis career until an accident got in the way. Now he works as a coach at the country club his father, Chuck Boyd (Ed Harris), owns and feels like he will never amount to anything ever again. After receiving medical advice by Dr. Stone (Ben Stiller) that pickleball will help loosen up his wrist, Dusty joins an amateur league. While he initially hates everything about the sport, he soon starts to open up to his fellow team members and finds something within himself that he thought had long ago disappeared.

I don’t know much about pickleball and I’m not that clued into tennis either. What I do know is that the two are usually pitted against each other, with most saying that tennis is the superior sport. But pickleball gained quite the following during the pandemic and now it is literally everywhere, so I wasn’t at all surprised when a film was announced that would revolve around it. While I do not think of myself as an expert, at least I know more about it than I did before.

The story itself was pretty generic. It’s not the first time we’ve seen a washed up athlete find passion in something unexpected and it probably won’t be the last. As a result, I found it to be a predictable watch. This wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes I like having something mindless that I can just tune out to. It was just a bit too stereotypical for me.

Where the film did excel was in its cast. Johnson is giving it his all and you can tell that he’s having a blast. Not all of the jokes landed, but he kept trying and I’ll admit I did laugh quite a bit. The group of women Dusty befriends while playing pickleball were fun. Mary Steenburgen was delightful as Candace, a divorced woman who is trying to get her groove back. Cleo King and Lynne Marie Stewart were hilarious as Gail and Judy. The three of them worked effortlessly off of Johnson and I really enjoyed their scenes together. Chloe Fineman had a short but sweet role as Dusty’s ex girlfriend Marisa and I enjoyed the cameos by actual tennis champions Andy Roddick and John McEnroe.

Apple TV+ is known for putting out top notch quality projects. I’m a bit surprised as to why they decided to take on The Dink because it was just mediocre. If it wasn’t for the cast, I probably wouldn’t have bothered to check it out. It was fine for a one time watch, but it was ultimately forgettable.

Rating: ♥️♥️.5

Gru (Steve Carell), Lucy (Kristen Wiig), Margo (Miranda Cosgrove), Edith (Dana Gaier), Agnes (Madison Polan) and the Minions (Pierre Coffin) are back in an all new adventure! With a new addition to their family, Gru Jr., Gru is finding it difficult to bond with his son, especially because his son is intent on tormenting his dad. When old arch nemesis Maxime (Will Ferrell) and his girlfriend Valentina (Sofía Vergara) break out of prison, the family are forced to go on the run.

I have always been a fan of the Despicable Me and Minion movies. They are just so much fun! The storylines are usually full of twists and turns and while you more or less know how they will turn out, you still have a good time anyway.

This time around we were joined by some new faces. Joey King donned the role of Poppy Prescott, a new neighbor who dreams of becoming a villain. Her dad Perry voiced by Stephen Colbert and her mom Patsy voiced by Chloe Fineman were great additions that added some new dynamics. I also thought that Maxime and Valentina were worthy villains and learning about Maxime’s past with Gru was interesting too.

I’m always so impressed with the animation in these films. It’s so vivid and I enjoyed seeing different locations from the first three instalments. Mayflower, for example, was a cute little town that the family had to flee to for protection. It was fun getting an inside look at the top secret headquarters where the Minions were hiding out as well as Gru’s school where he learned to become bad.

My favorite part, however, was the Minions. The obsession that I have with these creatures is unmatched. They are just so freaking cute and they say the funniest things. I think I laughed the most when they were on screen.

Despicable Me 4 is just as much fun as its predecessors. Audiences of all ages can find something to enjoy here. With its brilliant animation and talented voice cast, there is a lot to appreciate. I am already very much looking forward to the next Minions movie and whatever else may come from this franchise. I don’t think it’s one I will ever get tired of.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️