A familiar underdog sports story wrapped in bright animation
At 6 feet 2 inches, NBA player Stephen Curry is neither the shortest nor the tallest player to ever play in the NBA. He is, however, considered to be one of the greatest shooters in the sport's history and among the top 10 "greatest players of all time," or GOAT for short. Will (Caleb McLaughlin; Stranger Things) is considered to be a "small" in the world of roarball and gets laughed at whenever he tries to play against bigger animals at "the cage". He aspires to be like his idol, Jett Fillmore (Gabrielle Union; Bad Boys II), a rookie ball player for the Vineland Thorns and considered to be the GOAT of the game, which is rather ironic since Will is literally a goat.
At ten years old, Will's mom took him to see his first Vineland Thorns Roarball game, and since that day, he has practiced to become great. Years later, he can run and jump and make almost any shot he tries, but he gets laughed at when he mentions playing professional Roarball because of his size. However, a chance encounter with another roarball legend, Magma (Aaron Pierre; Mufasa: The Lion King ), allows Will to show off his skills and grabs the attention of thousands, including Thorns' owner, Florence Everson (Jenifer Lewis; Black-ish), who offers Will a contract. Suddenly, all of Will's dreams have come true, but remember what they say..." Be careful what you wish for."
GOAT has a few things going for it, including the cast. Fresh off a final season of Stranger Things, McLaughlin switches gears from a snarky teenager to ... a snarky teenager. Seriously, though, he does a terrific job of giving Will heart, determination, and just a hint of sadness in his voice. Union, as Jett, gives the Panther's voice some grit and grave,l which is the perfect way to show the big cat's years of experience. Nicola Coughlan (Bridgerton) is great as the ostrich who buries her head in the sand, McLaughlin's Stranger Things co-star, David Harbour (Black Widow) nicely plays the single dad Rhino with a big heart, and Patton Oswalt (The Secret Life of Walter Mitty) rounds out the talented cast. Oh...and I can't forget Stephen Curry as Lenny the giraffe!
Another thing going for the film is the animation. The colors are vibrant and pop off the screen, and the details are incredibly sharp and clean. The artists make even the meanest of jungle animals seem cute and/or likable.
Directors Tyree Dillihay (Bob's Burgers) and Adam Rosette (Harvey Girls Forever!) infuse plenty of heart and determination into these characters, making GOAT a feel-good film for everyone in the family. They keep the pacing even and build the anticipation slowly and steadily. They make the characters relatable so that every person can see themselves in Will at some point in their lives. They make the excitement real enough that you find yourself cheering when the Thorns win a game or when Will makes a point on the court.
Despite all the good and solid elements in this film, some negatives make the film less than perfect. Even though there is even pacing, the movie runs a little long. There are only so many times one can watch a basketball get dunked. Worse, though, is that the movie is so predictable that I found myself reciting the dialogue along with the characters in certain instances. There also isn't a catchy song to keep the little ones engaged.
As far as animated, family films go, GOAT isn't terrible, but it isn't a slam dunk either (pun intended). I'm sure it will do well enough, as most kid movies do, but I don't see it breaking any box office records.
Grade: C
