Sony Pictures Animation has been on an absolute tear lately, and GOAT comes stamped with all the hallmarks we’ve come to expect from the studio. You can see the Spider-Verse influence all over and through every frame, and with Steph Curry producing, there’s this idealistic vision of basketball where size doesn’t determine everything. It has a little bit of a Zootopia meets Space Jam vibe. It’s an ambitious swing at a sports underdog story, and while it’s gorgeous to look at, the narrative is a little paint-by-numbers.
The setup is genuinely cool: Will, a Boer goat voiced by Caleb McLaughlin (Stranger Things), gets signed into the Roarball league where he’s literally surrounded by grizzly bears, rhinos, and panthers. The league labels him a “small,” which isn’t just about his position; it’s about where he ranks in the pecking order. And the Roarball court? It’s brutal. The playing surface shifts between different elemental zones and terrain, and if you get caught in a bad matchup, you’re not just losing points, you can getting trampled. Except the film can’t seem to figure out how to make those stakes really matter.
GOAT review: Sony Pictures
Will plays like Steph Curry, he’s a sharpshooter in a league that values physical, bruising basketball. There’s evolution happening in the sport, old school versus new school. Will isn’t just bringing a new style of play; he’s rewriting the rules of what’s possible. Smalls have never been a factor in Roarball history. When Will sinks his first three-pointer, he scores the first points ever recorded by a Small in the league. His teammates’ skepticism makes sense on paper; they’ve been conditioned to believe Smalls simply can’t compete at this level. The problem is how the film handles this doubt. Even after Will proves himself game after game, his teammates cling to their prejudice with a hostility that feels excessive and mean-spirited. The movie wants to explore systemic bias, but it pushes the cruelty so far that these characters become frustrating to watch rather than sympathetic. There’s a version of this story where their doubt feels earned and their eventual acceptance feels powerful. Instead, we get teammates who seem to hate Will just because the script needs conflict, turning what should be a triumphant underdog story into something that feels unnecessarily bitter.
Then there’s Jett Fillmore, voiced by Gabrielle Union (L.A.’s Finest). She’s supposed to be this legendary All-Star with undeniable talent—the kind of player who can take over a game single-handedly. Think early Kobe Bryant or James Harden: pure scoring ability, elite skills, but zero championships to show for it. The question the film raises is the classic one: can she make her teammates better, or is she just an individual talent on a team going nowhere? That’s actually compelling territory to explore. The problem is how Jett treats Will. Despite her own inability to bring home a championship, she’s massively arrogant, constantly looking down on Will and lecturing everyone about respecting the integrity of the game. The film wants us to see her as a mentor, some wise veteran figure, but she just comes off as unlikable and hypocritical. When her redemption arc arrives, it feels a little empty because we never understood why she was so hostile in the first place. There’s a great story buried here about two players learning from each other; the talented star who needs to trust others, and the underdog who needs confidence. But the film is a little too committed to making Jett cruel that it undermines any meaningful connection between them.
The plot hits all the expected sports movie beats; underdog faces adversity, learns valuable lessons, earns respect. It’s very predictable from minute one. For a studio that gave us the Spider-Verse films and KPop Demon Hunters, movies that took genuine narrative risks and earned every emotional moment, GOAT feels like a slight step backward. Everything happens because the plot needs it to happen that way. The emotional beats land with a clunk because they haven’t been properly set up. It’s the sports movie equivalent of going through the motions. That said, the subplot involving Will’s mom and her co-worker is a genuinely sweet touch that feels more organic than the main storyline. It’s a small moment of authenticity in a film that otherwise forces its drama.
But here’s the thing: when GOAT focuses purely on the visual spectacle, it’s phenomenal. The animation takes clear inspiration from Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, with this incredible attention to detail in every single frame. The Roarball games are electric, with dynamic camera work, stylized action, brilliant use of color. When the court shifts between those elemental biomes, it’s genuinely thrilling to watch. These massive animal athletes move with real weight and power, and the animators clearly understand the physicality of basketball.
The sound design and music is equally impressive. They nailed the atmosphere of basketball culture; the squeak of sneakers, the roar of the crowd, the rhythm of the game itself. You can hear the difference between a rhino’s thunderous charge and the precise mechanics of Will’s jump shot. It sells the world completely, making this fantastical animal league feel grounded and real in all the ways that matter.
GOAT is a weird paradox of a film. It’s a technical masterpiece that proves Sony Pictures Animation remains at the top of their game when it comes to pure craft. But the screenplay? It’s a mess of forced conflicts and characters who don’t make sense. Kids will probably love the colorful action and the sports excitement, in fact there was a little girl dancing in row in front of me… she was having a great time; it delivers on that front. But if you’re hoping for something with the narrative sophistication of the studio’s best work, you’re going to walk away a little frustrated. It’s gorgeous, it sounds amazing, but it doesn’t have that intelligence nuance.
Grade: B-
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GOAT
Will, a small goat with big dreams, gets a once-in-a-lifetime shot to join the pros and play roarball – a high-intensity, co-ed, full-contact sport dominated by the fastest, fiercest animals in the world.
