From the minds of the Spider-Verse movies comes the Stephen Curry-produced GOAT, an animated movie that serves as a metaphor for the greatest shooter of all time's story.
They say don't meet your heroes, and that's what Will Harris (Caleb McLaughlin) learns when he meets his favorite roarball (which is essentially basketball) player, Jett Fillmore (Gabrielle Union).
In a story that is all about defying expectations — something the undersized Curry has done throughout his career. GOAT serves as a loose telling of Curry's story by way of the Spider-Verse movies.
GOAT review: What's it about?
Living in Vineland, a roarball-friendly city, Will Harris is a goat, and the species is not known for their roarball skills (they're no black panther or giraffe). He's not even allowed to play on the recreational courts.
However, he aspires to be a professional roarball player, specifically with his favorite player on the Thorns, Jett. While Jett is the leading scorer in roarball history, the team stinks, mostly due to the roster construction done by the owner, Flo (Jenifer Lewis).
Jett is surrounded by a group of “has-beens,” such as Lenny (Stephen Curry), a giraffe, Olivia (Nicola Coughlan), an ostrich, Modo (Nick Kroll), a Komodo dragon, and Archie (David Harbour), an Indian rhinoceros.
Will gets his opportunity after going viral following a pickup game against Mane Attraction (Aaron Pierre), a horse who towers over Will in size and strength.
While he loses the game, Will ultimately wins. Flo wants Will to be part of the team, knowing it would make a great story. So, she recruits him to join the struggling Thorns in a positive PR-spinning move.
This means Will gets to meet his hero. But this comes with its own set of challenges. Jett is less than enthused to be babysitting the newest member of the team. He has to prove himself to earn playing time and his teammates' respect.
The story has been done before, but it's still effective
There's no doubt that GOAT tells a familiar story. The unproven rookie needing to prove himself to team veterans has been done time after time.
However, there's a reason that this is the most familiar beat in sports movies. On the surface, it even harkens back to Zootopia, which also features an undersized animal set out to prove their worth in their career.
Ultimately, it's still a movie for kids, and the emotional themes could have benefited from greater depth. For example, Will's mother passed away before the events of GOAT. She is shown taking Will to his first Thorns game at the beginning of the movie, and her impact on his choices is felt.
Then, there's Jett, who is coming to grips with the end of her career being closer than the beginning. Jett is the old buck on the Thorns, and embracing age and the limitations that come with it is something all-star athletes must do.
The Spider-Verse-like animation style
Those who have seen the Spider-Verse movies, or, more recently, K-Pop Demon Hunters, will find the animation style of GOAT familiar.
One of the things that made Into the Spider-Verse so unique was how it used the animation to reinforce the story. The animation embraced the splash pages of comic books while being choppy in the early parts of the movie.
As Miles Morales grew more comfortable with his powers, the animation began smoothing out. It's extremely evident in the scene where Miles is web-swinging with Peter Parker.
GOAT's animation was also done by Sony Pictures Imageworks. The filmmakers lean on similar techniques. The animation is slightly frantic until Will begins growing on the court.
Now, not every animated movie requires such a technique. GOAT fits the bill, given its underdog story. It pushes the story forward without beating the viewer over the head.
Stephen Curry and the rest of the voice cast
The animation is undoubtedly great, but the voice cast does good work. Union is effective as the grizzled roarball veteran who's reluctant to take Will under her wing.
McLaughlin, best known for his work in Stranger Things, expands his range as Will. Maybe there is some crossover between the characters, but Will's natural swagger is unique to the character. Hopefully, if GOAT gets sequels, McLaughlin gets to continue building on his character.
Curry doesn't have the biggest role, but his impact goes beyond the screen. As a producer, it's clear how much influence Curry had on the film. Even though GOAT is about roarball, it's obvious that it's supposed to be basketball.
Again, it's not hard to see the parallels between Will and Curry's stories. Curry, who's 6-foot-2, is not the biggest guy on the court. However, this 3-point range made him a unique weapon on the court. Nowadays, plenty of guards try to have the range he does, as being able to shoot anywhere from the paint to half court makes you impossible to guard.
He was a smart choice to base the story of GOAT on. If Curry were a Giannis Antetokounmpo-like player, there'd be some highs, like the animated dunks, but the story wouldn't hit the same.
Patton Oswalt deserves credit for his performance as well. He plays the Thorns' coach, Dennis Cooper, who is constantly undermined by Jett. When GOAT begins, Dennis is no more than a glorified clipboard holder. Oswalt adds the right amount of self-doubt to Dennis that makes the character one you root for.
Should you watch GOAT?
GOAT will drive to theaters on Feb. 13. It's a perfect four-quadrant movie, as while it's for kids, people of all ages can take a lot from the story.
Curry serves as the basis of the story, but McLaughlin takes the ball and scores with it. McLaughlin and Union's rapport elevates the story beyond its rudimentary roots.
The Spider-Verse animation style remains undefeated. It tells a story that goes deeper than the surface, and GOAT benefits from the added metaphor.
Now, GOAT isn't the greatest animated movie of all time, but it is a lot more creative (visually) than similar projects. Curry's involvement is the cherry on top and a slam dunk.
Goat will be released on Feb. 13.
