COMEDY. “The Dink.” / “Deep Cover.” / “Tapawingo.” / “About My Father.” / “Masterminds.” / “Easy A.”

“The Dink” (2026, Apple TV+) sports comedy. A washed-up former tennis prodigy reluctantly turns to pickleball to save his father's country club and finally earn his approval. 


       I don't like (lead star) Jake Johnson in Apple TV's “Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed” and I don't like him in this movie, regardless of what critics say. Jake isn't funny as a comedian or effective as a dramatic actor either. Maybe he can try as a subordinate action performer, as long as the director doesn't give him many lines. 

       “The Dink” doesn't have any sports-movie excitement at all, and the premise is drained as a peanut butter leftover. The presence of bankable performers Ed Harris, Mary Steenburgen, and Ben Stiller + cameos by ex-tennis stars Andy Roddick and John McEnroe didn't help either. 🎥💻📽


“Deep Cover” (2025, Amazon Prime) action comedy. Bryce Dallas Howard, Orlando Bloom and Nick Mohammed as improv actors recruited by the police for undercover operations in the London criminal underworld, where they must use their skills to infiltrate a gang. 



       This is an enjoyable ride and the leads seem to be having fun as well. Bryce Dallas Howard as Kat, Orlando Bloom as Marlon, and Nick Mohammed as Hugh (or whatever their “deep cover” aliases) are hugely entertaining. Especially Orlando, and his “change of characters.” Hilarious! 

       Director Tom Kingsley's loose handling of the sequences gives the smooth, freewheeling vibe. The support crew–Paddy Considine, Sonoya Mizuno, Ian McShane, Sean Bean–also took part as though this project is an improv stage. Lots of applause? 🎥💻📽


“Tapawingo” (2024, Amazon Prime) comedy. Dude lives a dead-end life with his mom and stepfather/mom's boyfriend. His boss orders him to act as a chauffeur, too. Stars Jon Heder and Billy Zane. 



       Jon Heder or the people who work with him, whatever movies, are trapped in a creative bankruptcy. After Mr Heder's breakthrough in 2004's “Napoleon Dynamite,” his ensuing projects didn't create any jolt or attention. This tapawingo is basically Nap Dyno derivative but with no bite. 

       And all the other performers are unfunny derivatives. B-movie dude Billy Zane though is the only sane disturbance in this elementary school silliness. 🎥💻📽


“About My Father” (2023, Amazon Prime) comedy, based on lead star Sebastian Maniscalco's life and his relationship with his father, played by Robert De Niro. 



       Robert De Niro as dad Salvo is Robert De Niro as whoever. We get what we expect although this isn't a tad near his best appearances. So we went to Sebastian Maniscalco (co-writer with Austen Earl) to steer this movie, which is about himself or loosely based on his relationship with his father. Yet all that we “see” or hear is his mouth yapping endlessly. The one-liners here may work in standup routines but for a full-length feature, nope. 🎥💻📽


“Masterminds” (2016, Paramount+) crime comedy, based on the October 1997 Loomis Fargo robbery in North Carolina. Armored-car guard David Ghantt steals $17 million for his former coworker Kelly Campbell, but gets double-crossed by the real planner Steve Chambers and has to go on the run. 

       A weird heist story that actually happened, reenacted as a “redneck” comedy cliche by a kickass cast: Zach Galifianakis, Kristen Wiig, Owen Wilson, Jason Sudeikis, Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones.



       Yet for some reason, the laughs were few and far in between. And actually the jokes sound recycled. Writers Chris Bowman, Hubbel Palmer and Emily Spivey's screenplay lacks bite, sting and originality. Director Jared Hess did nothing to fix stuff, thinking his awesome performers are enough. Fail! 🎥💻📽


“Easy A” (2010, Apple TV+) teen romantic comedy. A high school student embraces a false rumor about her promiscuity to gain social and financial standing. 


       I don’t normally watch teen comedies, drama, romance, horror or whatever. But I like Emma Stone so I click-watched this movie. The gags and stuff are still too-juvenile to me but many sequences here are actually smart and funny. And that’s because Ms Stone's magnetic charm is the one swinging the baton. 🎥💻📽


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