GOAT Review – The Spider-Verse studio’s latest animation is a visual slam dunk that spends a bit too much time on the bench
Plot: 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.
Review: While the world waits for Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, Sony Pictures Animation is ready to pass the rock to another underdog for an animated adventure that takes the studio’s talents out of Brooklyn and onto the basketball court. Hitting the hardwood on February 13 exclusively in theaters, GOAT tells the story of Will, a small goat with big dreams who gets a once-in-a-lifetime shot at playing for the Vineland Thorns, a co-ed roarball team of talented misfit players. Roarball is a full-contact sport, so you need to be able to throw your weight around. Will is the smallest player ever to play the game, but his big heart and sweet moves make him an MVP after he finally gets some play time.
Tyree Dillihay co-directs GOAT with Adam Rosette, based on a screenplay by Aaron Buchsbaum and Teddy Riley, and a story by Nicolas Curcio and Peter Chiarelli. The movie shines thanks to Dillihay and Rosette’s slick direction and Sony’s jaw-droppingly gorgeous animation. GOAT looks as polished as you’d expect, with Sony Pictures Animation using every trick in its arsenal to make the characters come alive with uncanny body movements, animal-specific quirks, and lush environments. I spent the entirety of the film gawping at the complexity and beauty of Vineland, Will’s well-trodden stomping grounds. Vine and moss-covered buildings litter the overgrown metropolis, while grime-covered courts serve as a communal space for roarball players and enthusiasts alike. There isn’t a single frame of GOAT that doesn’t give you something to look at, get lost in, or marvel at the artistry on-screen.
Where the movie gets benched for me is its story. GOAT is an underdog tale that shares similar DNA with stories we’ve heard before. I like and appreciate the lessons GOAT teaches its audience by insisting they always dream big and never discount the little guy. These are valuable lessons to remind audiences, especially the younger crowd, who will no doubt flock to theaters to see the film. As beautiful and charming as the visuals are, I found the build-up to Will’s roarball debut a little late to the game. Despite Will getting signed by the Thorns relatively early, he remains benched for an extended period before taking the court. While there’s plenty of drama and team infighting to pass the time, I wondered when the plot would pick up.
Thankfully, GOAT is overflowing with fun, funny, and energetic performances by Caleb McLaughlin, Gabrielle Union, Nick Kroll, Nicola Coughlan, David Harbour, Patton Oswalt, Jenifer Lewis, and Steph Curry. McLaughlin is in his element when voicing Will. He plays the character with starry-eyed sincerity while walking through a living dream of being the first goat to play roarball. Meanwhile, Gabrielle Union dominates the court and most of the film’s emotional weight as Jett Fillmore, a black leopard and the Vineland Thorns’ star player. Jett spends most of the film making life difficult for Will, seeing him as the enemy rather than a teammate. She’s not ready to pass the torch, despite her aging limbs, failing eyesight, and struggles to remain the crowd’s favorite player. Union brings a distinct ferocity and a ton of heart to Jett as she slowly becomes a team player.
Other outstanding performances come from Kroll, who plays Modo, an unhinged and hyperactive lizard; David Harbour as Archie, a rinosaurus with two hellraising young girls forever clutching at his side, Nicola Coughlan as Olivia, a social-media-obsessed ostrich with flightless bird syndrome, and Steph Curry as Lenny, a larger-than-life giraffe with a talent for spitting bars on the mic. Patton Oswalt joins the ensemble as Coach Dennis, a wild-eyed proboscis monkey with experimental plays up his sleeve. At the same time, Jenifer Lewis steals the show as Florence, a smoky-voiced warthog whose mismanagement of the Thorns becomes the closest thing we get to a villainous plot. All of GOAT‘s support players bring their A-game to the court, with none of them feeling short-changed, underutilized, or lost in the sauce.
The new year is only just beginning, but I’ll put money on GOAT being one of 2026’s best-looking animated features, once all is said and done. Sony Pictures Animation is a studio at the top of its game regarding style and world-building. If GOAT brought that same energy to the story, this would have been a slam dunk. Still, the movie takes too long before Will can show the world what he’s capable of, and although I laughed, some of the jokes are ill-timed. That’s just me, though. Comedy is subjective, and others could find those moments laugh-out-loud funny. I definitely chuckled to myself a few times, and I absolutely loved how the animators incorporated real-life animal behaviors into the cast. I howled when Jett licked herself after completing her morning stretch routine, or the moment she lapped at a bowl of water to rehydrate. The movie goes out of its way to make Vineland a place you can’t help but want to visit. More than anything, I wanted to pause the film, leap inside the screen, and walk around. There’s so much to see, so many animals to meet, and the vibes are immaculate.
GOAT plays well enough with me, but I bet it’ll knock the socks off of young audiences, especially up-and-coming athletes with big dreams of playing for their favorite team. I adore the way roarball includes both male and female players, embracing the sport’s co-ed setup and never drawing a dividing line between the two genders. There’s enough competition in sports already, so I’m all for evening the playing field. Even if the film stumbles a bit with its pacing, it’s a spectacular showcase of Sony‘s talents, proving once again that they’re the studio to beat in visual spectacle and innovation. Lace up your kicks and get your kids to the theater this February for a bit of one-on-one with an animated film that’s got heart and energy to spare.
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