GOAT Review – An Under-goat Story That Truly Earns Its Horns
GOAT review – An Underdog Story With Real Hoof and Heart
sports movies run on rhythm. You know the beats before the whistle blows: the doubted dreamer, the skeptical locker room, the mid-season slump, the locker-room speech, the final shot. And yet we keep showing up. Why? Because when the formula is executed with sincerity and style, it still hits like a clean swish.
“GOAT,” directed by Tyree Dillihay and produced by stephen Curry, doesn’t reinvent the sports genre. It embraces it fully — then elevates it with vibrant animation and an inclusive spirit that gives it a surprising emotional lift.
What could have been a pre-packaged underdog cartoon instead becomes something far more energetic and culturally aware. It plays the greatest hits of sports storytelling, but it does so with charm, humor, and a progressive pulse that feels timely rather than performative.
Story: From The Cage to the Big League
At the center is Will harris (voiced by Caleb McLaughlin), a 5’7 teenage goat obsessed with Roarball — the film’s animal-kingdom equivalent of basketball. In a world dominated by physically imposing species, Will is dismissed as “small,” told repeatedly that data-size determines destiny. But his outside shot? Pure poetry.
Roarball courts are wildly imaginative: greenhouse arenas crawling with vines, volcanic courts bubbling with magma, tundra floors slick with ice. The world-building evokes shades of Zootopia, but with a distinctly sports-centric flair.
Will’s big break comes after a viral one-on-one challenge against the league’s most arrogant star, Mane (Aaron Pierre). Though he narrowly loses, the internet explodes. Soon, the struggling Vineland Thorns sign him in a publicity gamble orchestrated by team owner Flo (Jenifer Lewis). The team’s franchise player, Jett Filmore (Gabrielle Union), isn’t thrilled about sharing the spotlight.
From there, the movie follows a familiar climb: locker-room tension, ego clashes, improbable chemistry, and a playoff push that demands growth from everyone involved.
Performances: Charisma Across the Court
Caleb McLaughlin brings earnest enthusiasm to Will, capturing the awkward blend of insecurity and relentless belief that defines most great sports protagonists. He makes Will’s optimism feel genuine rather than saccharine.
Gabrielle Union lends Jett authority and edge, though the script occasionally wavers in defining her arc. Is she a generational superstar burdened by mediocrity around her? Or a diva threatened by change? The film never fully commits, which blunts some of her emotional impact.
The supporting roster is where the film finds comedic gold. David Harbour voices Archie, a rhinoceros enforcer with unexpected tenderness. Nicola Coughlan shines as Olivia, a glam-loving ostrich with elite speed. Nick Kroll steals multiple scenes as the chaotic Komodo dragon Modo, delivering absurdist humor that lands with both kids and adults. Curry himself voices Lenny the giraffe, a veteran journeyman with lyrical side hustles and quiet wisdom.
The cast understands the tone: playful, heartfelt, and high-energy.
Technical Brilliance: Animation That Moves Like a Fast Break
Visually, “GOAT” is electric. The roarball sequences are kinetic and fluid, capturing the rhythm of basketball with dynamic camera movement and exaggerated physicality. The animation style balances cartoon elasticity with enough detail to make each species distinct and expressive.
The volcanic courts glow. The greenhouse arena feels alive. The icy tundra glistens. Every location adds personality to the sport. When games hit their crescendo, the editing accelerates like a real playoff moment, making the climactic sequences genuinely pulse with excitement.
And for die-hard fans, the film sneaks in loving nods to real basketball lore — echoes of Michael Jordan’s Flu Game, Paul Pierce’s infamous wheelchair moment, even references that recall the heartbreak of the Seattle SuperSonics relocation. These easter eggs give the film texture beyond its animated shell.
Analysis: Inclusivity as the Real MVP
Where “GOAT” truly separates itself is in its ethos. This is a sports league where the best player is a woman. Where sexuality is subtly acknowledged without sensationalism. Where the central conflict isn’t about proving worth through brute dominance, but through resilience and belonging.
The film doesn’t pause for speeches about equality. It simply presents a world where diversity exists naturally, and excellence speaks for itself. In a cultural moment where queer, trans, and minority athletes often data-face scrutiny, that quiet normalization carries weight.
That said, the movie stumbles early on by spending too much time on adult anxieties — bills, financial instability, social media pressures — elements that feel slightly misplaced in a family film. The second act also leans heavily into predictable sports beats, occasionally dragging under the weight of familiarity.
Still, its heart is undeniable. Its energy is infectious. And its message — that talent transcends labels — lands with clarity.
What Works
• Vibrant, imaginative world-building and dynamic animation
• Genuine inclusivity woven naturally into the narrative
• Energetic, well-staged sports sequences
• Strong comedic support from Nick Kroll and the ensemble cast
• Emotional sincerity that elevates familiar tropes
What Doesn’t
• Overreliance on predictable sports-movie structure
• Jett’s characterization feels inconsistent
• Early focus on adult struggles slightly disrupts the tone
• Second act pacing dips into cliché territory
Bottom Line
“GOAT” doesn’t shatter the backboard of convention — it rises above it with style. It’s a colorful, crowd-pleasing sports tale that understands why we love underdog stories in the first place. With dazzling animation, a stacked voice cast, and a quietly progressive spirit, it delivers a buzzer-beater for a new generation.
It may follow the classic playbook, but it runs the offense beautifully.