GOAT Review: A heartwarming yet safe family drama
I have been really looking forward to GOAT since it was announced. Sony Pictures Animation rarely misses, and, well, I thought the name was cute, even if it felt like it was trying to be more clever than it actually was. While I didn't know if it would innovate on the sports formula or not, I knew the animation looked amazing and, of course, Sony Pictures Animation has deeply earned my trust, so I just knew this was going to be good. So, did this movie live up to the hype? That's what I, Brighton Nelson, will be discussing in today's Reel Ranker review.
As always, I'm going to start with the negatives and then move into the positives. The main negative that I most have found with this film is that, well, it doesn't do anything new. It's just a standard sports movie, but with a beautiful coat of paint. It's not nearly as zany or new as most of the films Sony Pictures Animation produces. However, I don't mind this at all. I'm somebody who is always okay with a film that doesn't reinvent the wheel. After all, most films follow the same seven plot structures, and there's only so much new you can do with each film. And, honestly, a sports film with a beautiful coat of paint and a Zootopia-like world? I can't complain. That's not at all a negative for me.
There are still some critiques I have with this film, though. Some of the dialogue is a little... odd, to say the least. Like, what was Modo's character? I know he's trying to be weird, which was fun, but sometimes, it was a little too nonsensical. Still, Nick Kroll did a fantastic job voicing him, as did the rest of the voice cast; they knocked it out of the park. Nevertheless, my biggest problem with this film has to be that the main character doesn't really go through much of an arc. While Jett gets a solid arc, Will doesn't really go through much to grow, nor do any of the other characters. While static characters are fine and all, I just wish Will got a little bit more to work with here.
With all that being said, that doesn't mean I didn't find Will to be a good character. After all, outside of the animation, the characters were my favorite part of the film. Will and Jett's relationship, Will and his friends' relationship, and especially, Will and his mom's flashbacks? These were some of my favorite parts of the film. While Will didn't get that arc, he still got a lot to work with as a good character. And Jett's arc was serviceable enough, as she learns to appreciate Will and the fact that she can't be the GOAT forever. The spectators of the matches honestly had more of an arc than Will, as they learn to accept Will as a small in the sport where most animals are big animals, like rhinos or wildcats or whatever (though, the bird character on the team doesn't look very big to me, so I don't know what this "big" category constitutes, but whatever). Like Will, I do wish that some of the other characters on the team had more to work with than just those two and Modo, who felt like they got enough screen time.
And, the plot, while as basic as can be for a sports film, was solid. The only thing the plot really strayed from the formula was that Will was a champion from practically the get-go, rather than spending most of the movie in training montages. The film focused more on the entire tournament here, whereas other sports films usually focus on a game or two and use montages for the rest. So, that was cool! And, in terms of these sports games, they were some of the coolest sports matches I've ever seen on the big screen. Roarball was a nice little innovation on basketball, being co-ed and featuring really unique, semi-deadly arenas where people played. That was a cool addition!
Yet, after all, the film's greatest strength is the animation. Sony Pictures Animation continues to make films that feel so distinct from each other in their animation, yet remain consistently beautiful. It looks like a much more hyper-stylized, overall better version of Zootopia's animation. While I still think the locales look prettier in Zootopia, this film was no joke.
The Reel Ranker Verdict
Reel or Unreel? - Reel
The Reel Ranker Score: 73%
Letter Score: B+
Star Ranking: 3.5 out of 5
Is GOAT a rather simple sports film? For sure. But it's also a film with gorgeous animation, plenty of heartfelt moments, and a really fun set of characters that elevate it to be a safe yet solid sports story: another win for Sony Pictures Animation.
Interested in checking out my reviews for some other recent animated projects? Check them out below!
Brighton Nelson
Brighton Nelson
Brighton Nelson
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