GOAT is a rare animated sports movie that stands out.
The list of animated sports movies is shockingly short, which is likely why ‘GOAT’ stands so tall despite its small protagonist. The slick animation we’ve seen from the studio that developed the ‘Spider-Verse’ films and ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ lends itself extremely well to the world of anthropomorphic animals playing basketball.
Story and Setup
‘GOAT’ revolves around a literal goat named Will Harris (Caleb McLaughlin), who is extremely gifted in the sport of roarball, which is essentially an extreme version of basketball dominated by the biggest creatures in the animal kingdom. Will’s favorite team, the Thorns, is led by his idol, Jett Fillmore (Gabrielle Union).
His skills eventually lead him to get signed to the Thorns, becoming the first small animal to play professionally in a very big game. Will’s teammates aren’t necessarily thrilled about him joining the team, leading Will to prove he belongs in the game.
Animation and Direction
The takeaways of ‘GOAT’ aren’t groundbreaking. Your typical sports themes of teamwork, perseverance, and self-belief are all here, but they’re all revolutionized through this wonderful animation style that I just can’t get enough of. It was truly groundbreaking stuff back in 2018 when implemented into the release of ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’, and reapplying it to other genres like musical fantasy action and extreme sports results in a refreshing visual experience each time.
Director Tyree Dillihay and Adam Rosette both come from the world of animated television and make their animated feature directorial debuts. ‘GOAT’ is never boring, nor does the animation ever stutter, so it seems this team has the goods for some exciting future animation projects.
Voice Cast Highlights
‘GOAT’ features a voice cast made up of a diverse array of stars, plus some notable current and former NBA and WNBA players. Steph Curry, who also produced the film, stars as a giraffe named Lenny who plays for the Thorns. Not to mention the likes of David Harbour, Aaron Pierre, Nick Kroll, Nicola Coughlan, Jenifer Lewis, and several more portraying animals of all shapes and sizes. Did you ever feel the need to see Jelly Roll voice a basketball-playing bear? He’s surprisingly quite adept with his vocal performance!
Family Crowd-Pleaser Factor
As someone who grew up in the 90’s with the likes of ‘Space Jam’, it feels special that a new generation of kids gets a fun basketball movie to dribble in and out of their viewing rotation. While ‘GOAT’ doesn’t have the hook of Michael Jordan and Bugs Bunny, what it does have is some stellar animation and a satisfying, family-friendly animated blockbuster.
Verdict
‘GOAT’ is one of the first original animated films to come along in a while that will delight families in theaters and truly feels kind of special. While we are no strangers to the world of animals walking and talking on screen, this dive into the world of creatures playing professional sports offers something excitingthat fans of all ages can enjoy.
GOAT releases in theaters on February 13th.
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Drew Munhausen
Media and Movie Mastermind who co-hosts the Moviegoers Society Podcast and Fresh out the Pod.
