This week’s movie review roundup features two films: Motor City, now playing in theaters, and The Dink, available to stream at home.

Fists Speak Louder Than Words in Motor City

Motor City is a film that has risen slightly above the fray on the strength of a gimmick. Were it not for a curious, creative flourish, it would be destined for the streaming graveyard of unheralded action flicks — the sort of film that would live in DVD bargain bins, when that was still a thing. Instead, it has managed a theatrical release and a quiet bit of buzz for one reason: In this movie, no one really talks.

There are scraps of language here and there — most often exclamations, vulgarities and brief interrogatives. And characters are seen talking, but the audience is usually not privy to these conversations; they take place behind a window or off in the distance. The story in Motor City is delivered almost purely in action and grimaces.

Set in 1970s Detroit (though filmed almost entirely in New Jersey), Motor City concerns the plight of John Miller (Alan Ritchson), an everyman — albeit a hulking one. Miller is recently off of probation and has proposed to his girlfriend, Sophia (Shailene Woodley), a diner waitress with mysterious connections to a vengeful drug kingpin (Ben Foster).

Our capo has no intentions of letting his ex (or whoever she is) get hitched to a common brute, so he frames Miller for drug trafficking, leaning on a crooked cop (Pablo Schreiber) and putting Miller in jail for 25 years. When Miller learns that his rival has conned his way back into Sophia’s heart, he hatches a plan for a prison break and bloody revenge.

Cliches Among the Quiet

Motor City is rife with action-movie cliches and tired tropes, many of which should’ve stayed in the 20th Century. It could be argued, perhaps, that leaning on broad signifiers makes a wordless film easy to follow — and, admittedly, it’s never unclear what’s going on. Still, anyone unwilling to thoroughly discard their standards will have a tough time enjoying the film.

Even with that caveat, it’s a tough nut to crack. Director Potsy Ponciroli leans heavily on montage and slow motion to maintain the ineloquent action; the result feels like watching a 100-minute music video. (In many cases, this is literally true; recognizable songs including Night In White Satin, I Feel Love and The Chain play, in full, over collections of overdramatized shots.) It’s different enough to be intriguing, if not quite good enough to be … well, good.

Still, it’s an ambitious and notable effort. This isn’t a movie you walk out of feeling impressed or even narratively satisfied; it’s one that leaves you saying, “I guess it’s possible to do that.” After 125 years of cinema, doing anything that feels somewhat new has to count as something of an achievement.

Watching Apple TV’s The Dink? You’ll Laugh — Even If You’re Alone

In The Dink, the endlessly likable Jake Johnson undercuts his natural charisma to star as a washed-up tennis pro forced to do the unthinkable: convert to pickleball. (As co-star Andy Roddick describes it, it’s “like tennis, but easy.”) It’s the sort of role Will Ferrell would’ve once played — but with a hint of reality often missing from those over-the-top Ferrell/McKay comedies.

Unlike many streaming-first comedies, The Dink has an essential ingredient: actual humor. If that sounds like damning the film with faint praise, it counts as exceptional in the modern environment; while many fine dramas and genre films go straight to streaming, the number of laugh-out-loud feature comedies that have debuted on the small screen is small.

The setup is sturdy: once-promising tennis player Dusty Boyd (Johnson), always flanked by earnest acolyte PJ (Aaron Chen), is trying to hold on to the glory days while toiling at a prestigious tennis club owned by his father (Ed Harris). When he re-injures his wrist while ostentatiously celebrating a win, his doctor (Ben Stiller) suggests pickleball for recovery. He tries a small court, striking up an unlikely friendship with his doubles partner (Mary Steenburgen), all while hatching an unlikely comeback plan.

A Comedy All-Star Team

Along the way, we’ll visit with a full roster of excellent comedic performers: Patton Oswalt, Fortune Feimster, Chris Parnell, Chloe Fineman, Christine Taylor and more, including folks making cameos from the tennis world. Director Josh Greenbaum, who also helmed the well-received Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar, assembled a great team; the sense of fun among the cast is palpable.

In many recent comedies, a certain lack of passion is palpable. (I don’t want to name any names … no, wait, I do: Kevin Hart.) Here, enthusiasm — and a genuinely witty script, from Sean Clements — make for a winning result. What’s more, I felt something like genuine care and concern for the characters. That’s another rarity in modern feature comedies.

Story by Sean Collier
Motor City Photo © IFC/The Dink Photo Courtesy Apple TV

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