5 Fun Takeaways from 'Pickleball' the Movie

If you love pickleball puns and raucous plotlines with a bit of raunchy humor mixed in, you might be pleasantly surprised

Before Ben Stiller and Jake Johnson and Mary Steenburgen steal the spotlight later this month with their highly anticipated pickleball movie aptly titled "The Dink," there's another feature-length film on the sport that's worth two hours of your time.

It's called "Pickleball"... and it's ridiculous. In all the right ways. Zany plot. Over-the-top characters. Questionable pickleball skills. And more than a few pickle puns.

It's available now on Amazon and a few other streaming platforms. I watched it. Because of course I did.

Here are a few takeaways, without spoilers:

1. The premise is built around the early death of a lead character. It's not exactly "Game of Thrones"-level drama, but it makes for a fun little plot twist that cleverly informs the rest of the movie.
2. Speaking of the plot: Yes, it's a bit predictable. Family pickleball club facing foreclosure. Former tennis star begrudgingly pulled in to save the day against another former tennis star. We'll let you guess how it ends.
3. The actual pickleball isn't terrible! It's not great. It's not even good, if we're being honest. But there are a few characters who had clearly swung a tennis racket a few times before signing up for this cast. That said, the dinking is painful. And every single point played ends after three shots. Sigh.
4. Selkirk features prominently in the film. And by that, I mean their signage is displayed on every court and the Luxx paddle is conspicuously in the hands of every single player in every single scene. Throat holes as far as the eye can see. I didn't clock a single other brand in the entire two-hour movie.
5. The lead character is Kevin Farley, younger brother to the late, great Chris Farley and a successful comedic actor in his own right. He's fun and believable and entertaining and does a lot of heavy lifting to keep the plot moving along.

If you love pickleball and raucous plotlines with a bit of raunchy humor mixed in, you might be pleasantly surprised by "Pickleball."

The characters are fun. The dialogue isn't too over-the-top. And there are more than a few scenes that'll have you scratching your head in the best way.

Intrigued? You're reading this, so of course you are.

Give the trailer a watch below.

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