He dreams of becoming the ‘Goat’ in a sports movie that lacks competitive edge

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Animated animal movies like “Sing,” “The Secret Life of Pets,” and “Zootopia” have been popular for years. Now, “Goat,” a new film produced by basketball star Stephen Curry, joins the trend. While it’s a feel-good story about pursuing your dreams, it follows a very familiar sports movie formula and doesn’t offer much that feels new or unique.

Tyree Dillihay, a seasoned TV animator, makes his feature film debut with a story about a young, talking goat who dreams of being the very best – literally the “Greatest of All Time,” or GOAT. The film is based on a screenplay by Aaron Buchsbaum and Teddy Riley.

Will, a huge roarball (a basketball-like sport in the movie) fan and voiced by Caleb McLaughlin, hopes to play for his local team, the Vineland. He looks up to Vineland’s star player, Jett Fillmore (voiced by Gabrielle Union), who’s incredibly talented but fiercely competitive and determined to win at all costs.

In the world of “Goat,” people are categorized as either “smalls” or “bigs” – a different divide than in “Zootopia,” which separates predators from prey. Will thinks of himself as average, but professional roarball players see him as very small. However, after a video of him fearlessly facing off against star player Mane Attraction (Aaron Pierre) – who is twice his size – goes viral, Will gets an unexpected opportunity to play in the major leagues.

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Roarball is commendable for being a very welcoming sport. Teams aren’t divided by gender, and players of any species are allowed. While Will is the first smaller player to become famous, that’s due to people’s biases, not any rules preventing animals like him from participating.

The animated film “Goat” tries too hard to feel current, relying heavily on quickly dated internet trends like cryptocurrency and memes. While basketball fans might recognize nods to real-life sports moments – like heated press conferences and the kiss cam – the movie is ultimately a fast-paced but shallow experience, offering excitement without much depth.

When Will becomes part of the team, Jett feels threatened and believes he’s taking her place, leading to some friction between them. This tension eases when Will shares his personal motivations for playing. While the story isn’t overly complicated, it feels genuine and moving thanks to the strong voice acting by McLaughlin and Union, who really bring their characters to life.

Will’s teammates – a rhino, a giraffe (played by Kenan Thompson), an ostrich, and a Komodo dragon – don’t really stand out from characters in other animated movies like “Sing.” While each has some funny moments, they don’t feel particularly unique. For example, Archie the rhino (voiced by David Harbour) has two daughters who are hilariously rambunctious.

While “Goat” is visually appealing, its flaws are hard to ignore. In 2018, “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” impressed everyone with its innovative style, blending 3D computer animation with classic hand-drawn techniques. Because of that film, “Goat” doesn’t feel as groundbreaking or original anymore.

Visually, the most striking thing about “Goat” is how well the natural environment mixes with the city landscapes. Will’s neighborhood, Vineland, is overgrown with vines, but it feels like the plants are a natural part of the buildings and streets. Each level of the game takes place in a unique environment – the final one, for instance, is set amongst volcanic rocks and lava. It’s clear the developers put a lot of effort and artistic detail into creating these backgrounds.

As a movie fan, I was a little let down by “Goat.” It looked great – really visually appealing – but the story itself felt very predictable. It followed all the usual beats, heading straight for a happy ending. Honestly, I was hoping for something a bit more thoughtful, especially for kids. It had a cool premise that could have explored failure in a realistic way, instead of just offering an easy solution. If we’re going to keep using animals to tell human stories, particularly for younger audiences, I’d love to see a little more depth and complexity.

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2026-02-13 02:01