Cut to the chase: Hot off the tails of Disney’s history-making box office success with “Zootopia 2,” Sony Pictures Animation offers another animal kingdom saga with stunning visuals and unique world-building that will enthrall younger viewers, as well as give adults something to enjoy. This has a darker, grittier feel than its House of Mouse counterpart, which may upset sensitive moviegoers, though that on-screen texture is its appeal, creating a tantalizing foray into a new, albeit predictable, underdog story.
(Image courtesy Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation)
Bleatin’ Synopsis
Will Harris (voiced by Caleb McLaughlin) is a young goat and aspiring “roarball” player in the anthropomorphic city of Vineland. Roarball is essentially basketball, except the court is filled with innumerable hazards, like floating ice, magma lava, or giant tree roots. Will dreams of playing for his hometown team, the Vineland Thorns, whose star player Jett (Gabrielle Union) is closing in on retirement without having ever won the Claw, the ultimate trophy awarded in the sport.
Though he may be small, Will is mighty, accepting a one-on-one pick-up game against Mane Attraction (Aaron Pierre), an oversized horse and the lead player of the Thorns’ greatest rival, the Lava Court Magmas. When the clip of their showdown goes viral, Will is recruited by the Thorns’ owner Flo (Jennifer Lewis) to bring public interest to the team, comprised of a ragtag animal group: the doting daddy rhinoceros Archie (David Harbour), the rapper giraffe Lenny (Stephen Curry), the chaotic Komodo dragon Modo (Nick Kroll) and the skittish ostrich Olivia (Nicola Coughlan).
“GOAT” follows a traditional story arc for its characters, though it isn’t Will who has an emotional and spiritual growth; it’s Jett, whose sour attitude and foul disposition are upended by Will’s earnest positivity and formidable resiliency. She, a predator in the animal kingdom, is transformed by a small, unassuming goat. As the Thorns inch closer to a championship title, the team must rally around each other’s strengths instead of allowing self-doubt to dominate their game.
Archie (David Harbour) with his daughters, Modo (Nick Kroll), Olivia (Nicola Coughlan), Will (Caleb McLaughlin) and Lenny (Stephen Curry) in (Image courtesy Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation)
Get Your Snout in the Game
Sony Pictures Animation has made a name for itself as a studio interested in putting out refreshing forms of animation. Gone is the clean, digital look that Pixar revolutionized with “Toy Story.” “GOAT” opts for a bold, distinctly handcrafted look, a style we first saw in 2018’s Oscar-winning feature “Spider-Man: Into the Spider Verse.” It is characterized by a combination of computer animation and a hand-drawn aesthetic that harkens back to comic book creation of generations past. The frenetic energy of the animation creates for a deeper world-building, and the city and characters of Vineland immediately draw us in.
The film’s overarching themes – teamwork, perseverance, and self-love – are wonderful messages for young viewers. “GOAT” also encourages physical activity, sportsmanship, and the beauty of sports. For fans of basketball, the backstory of Stephen Curry’s own rise in the NBA as a “smaller” player gives context for why he chose to produce the film and lend his voice to a character.
All that said, the plot is certainly not reinventing the wheel. The characters’ growth follows a traditional trajectory, and there is no surprise that the underdogs dominate in the end. Viewers will grow an attachment to the little goat by the time the credits roll, and there is very little concern that everything will tie up in a perfect little baaaaaa-ow.
Modo (Nick Kroll). (Image courtesy Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation)
Things To Know
- MPAA Rating: PG for some rude humor and brief mild language
- Where To Watch: In theaters now
- Recommended Age: 7+
- Runtime: 100 minutes
- Nightmare Inducers: While there aren’t many “scary” elements in this underdog sports comedy, some of the larger animals that are meant to intimidate Will could be viewed as threatening to sensitive viewers. Particularly from the perspective of a smaller animal, the Clydesdale horse, the scar-ravaged grizzly bear, and even some of the “good guys,” the manic Komodo dragon and Jett, the temperamental black panther, could be viewed as threatening or aggressive. There is pushing and shoving, as one might expect from depicting a competitive basketball game, but not much in the way of other forms of violence or physicality. There are references to the death of Will’s mother, though nothing explicit is shown.
- My Biggest Issue: The biggest qualm I had with the film was its overuse of smartphones as a way to further the plot. Will goes viral, and the story hinges on the idea that something he did in real life was only awarded because it was filmed, then broadcast on a social media platform. Will would not have been given a chance if it were not for his viral fame, a subplot that negates his hard work and tenacity. There is also a diss track that’s made and posted to taunt Will, a form of online bullying that probably did not need to make the cut for impressionable viewers.
