by John Tillyard, Contributing Writer
After a video of him goes viral, Will Harris (Caleb McLaughlin), a small goat, is given the chance of a lifetime: a place on the Vineland Thorns “roarball” team (a sport similar to basketball). The Thorns’ star player, black panther Jett Fillmore (Gabriella Union), who Will idolizes, isn’t happy about Will being on the team. It is up to Will to bring the team together and turn the Thorns’ losing streak around. Meanwhile, Jett must prove she can still play and be a team player to finally win “The Claw,” the roarball trophy that has so far eluded her.
Brought to you by the same studio as Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and the mammoth phenomenon K-Pop Demon Hunters, both known for their comic book aesthetic, vibrant colors, and unique framerate. This feature has a similar animation style and is similarly compelling to watch. The same, however, cannot be said for the story, which is a fairly insipid tale of the little guy (quite literally here) who makes it big in professional sports. It hits many of the same beats as other sports stories. The hero has no money or history of success, just raw passion for the sport. No one believes in Will when he joins the team, who are a bunch of losers at first because they can’t play as a team. What makes this feel more original is that everyone is a different type of animal, and the environments they live in and play the sport vary depending on species.
The story offers a modern twist on a sports movie by incorporating the instant feedback of social media, which has both positive and negative effects throughout. The actual impact on any of the characters is somewhat perfunctory, as these sequences are played up as more of a visual montage and an excuse for a few gags. Will doesn’t seem to be massively affected by anything said about him, and he rarely seems to suffer from any issues of self-doubt or other flaws that might impact his confidence when playing.
If anything, Jett is the flawed character who goes through the more typical hero’s journey. The narrative has an odd structure; the first act focuses on Will’s humble beginnings and his ambition to play roarball. However, once he joins the team, the focus shifts to the fact that Jett may be washed up and the monkey on her back for not having won a championship. Will is no longer an interesting character in his own right because the story is no longer about him; the narrative stops forcing on him what he wants or what he feels he needs to do to succeed. Instead, Will takes on a more mentor role, helping Jett learn a few things about self-belief and being a team player. It’s less a rags-to-riches story and more a journey from star to superstar.
I assumed, when I first heard about this, that the title, a common sports acronym for “Greatest Of All Time,” was just a play on the main character being an actual goat. However, I now get the impression that this screenplay may have started life as being entirely Jett’s story, trying to become the greatest. Early on, she is tormented by media claims that she has underachieved in her career and is now on borrowed time. This is a real problem for sports stars in real life: never knowing if they have achieved enough and not wanting to give up on the sport they love, a fear that could make for an interesting character arc. However, when this challenge is relegated to a sub-plot within a more typical hero’s journey and focuses more on the star player’s selfish attitude and frustration with the rest of the team, it becomes far less interesting.
Outside of Will and Jett, almost all the other characters exist for the sake of interesting visuals or gags. The whole experience is a joy to look at from beginning to end, and there is a good amount of visual humor that utilizes the different types of animals seen. I particularly enjoy the variety of roarball areas, each with its own gimmick. For example, in the ice-themed area, the ice that forms the court cracks near the end of the game, and the players must avoid falling into the ice-cold water. There is a slightly dirty feel to the cities, which gives the habitat a lot more character and a sense that this world is very densely populated. The characters are all very expressive, in a way you could never pull off in live action. Will isn’t just a goat for the play on the acronym, either; his ability to have a panoramic view of the court becomes an important tool in helping him work out how to make certain shots. I’m not a basketball fan, so I don’t know how much of the talk and tactics shown here are true to the real sport, but I certainly hope it’s realistic, given that real-life professional player Steph Curry was a producer on the movie. I do at least know short players, like Will, have been successful in the sport. It is interesting to see aspects of the real sport being portrayed in this animated feature.
While the film is jam-packed with characters, and many side stories develop and receive satisfying payoffs, there is also a disappointingly generic subplot. The Thorns’ owner, Flo (Jenifer Lewis), wants to relocate the team; they really should have cut it, as it was very uninteresting and the kind of plot seen in many other sports stories that ultimately led nowhere.
Overall, GOAT is a visual spectacle on par with Sony Animation’s previous two smash hits. The variety of different environments, animals and action sequences throughout never gets old, and there is always something interesting happening on screen. From a story perspective, it is less a slam dunk and more of an air ball. The core story is a very by-the-numbers sports story that takes a slightly jarring change halfway through, shifting the focus from Will to Jett. The real indulgence you can take from this story is through its comedy, the variety of animal-related gags and the abundance of characters that all get their moment to make you laugh. Having said that, the story isn’t bad and is enough to make the whole experience worthwhile when paired alongside the exceptional work from the animators. If you go into this hoping for something similar to Spider-Verse or K-Pop, the visuals will not disappoint, but the story will.
Rating: High Side Of Just Okay
GOAT is currently playing in Theaters
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