So I finally watched GOAT, the new animated movie from Sony Pictures Animation, and honestly, it was a decent watch, but nothing that blew me away. I went in with moderate expectations and came out feeling pretty much the same way.
The story follows Will Harris, a small goat living in an all-animal world where a high-intensity sport called roarball is basically everything. Will has spent his whole life dreaming of playing professionally, idolizing a star player named Jett Fillmore, a fierce black panther who plays for the Vineland Thorns. One day, Will goes viral after boldly challenging a massive horse on the court, and that stunt earns him a spot on the Thorns. But here's the catch — the team owner only signs him as a marketing gimmick, not because she actually believes in him. So Will spends the whole movie fighting to be taken seriously by his teammates, the crowd, and even Jett herself.
The friendship that slowly builds between Will and Jett is honestly the best part of the entire film. There are a few quiet moments where the two open up to each other about their fears and insecurities, and those scenes feel genuinely real and touching. I just wish there were more of them because the movie rushes through the emotional parts a little too quickly.
The animation is where this movie truly shines, though. Sony brought that same bold, electric visual style from the Spider-Verse films, and it looks absolutely gorgeous here. The roarball match scenes are fast, wild, and so much fun to watch. Even when the story felt a bit flat, my eyes were having a great time.
The problem is that the story is just really predictable. From the very first scene, you can already guess where everything is going. The underdog struggles, hits rock bottom, makes a comeback, and wins the big game. Every beat lands exactly where you expect it to. The characters are likeable but don't get enough time to properly develop, and there is a conflict near the end that gets introduced and then resolved so quickly it barely registers.
Overall, GOAT is a fun, easy watch that families will enjoy. It has good humor, a likeable lead, a great voice cast, and animation that is genuinely stunning. It just plays things too safe with its story when it could have been something really special. Worth watching on a lazy weekend, just do not expect it to stay with you for long.
Rating: 6.5/10