REVIEW: ‘GOAT (2026)’ Has Great Heart And Characters

Most everyone dreams of making it big time, in some way or another. GOAT (2026) is a charming kids’ animated film about one of those outlandish dreams coming true. Directed by Tyree Dillihay and Adam Rosette and written by Nicolas Curcio, GOAT (2026) is about more than just a young goat named Will’s (Caleb McLaughlin) dream of being the greatest roarball player; it is about realizing that everybody has a dream, and that the best way to make dreams come true is together.

Ever since he was young, Will wanted to be a great roarball player (roarball is basically basketball, adapted for animals to play). He especially looked up to his hometown hero, Jett Fillmore (Gabrielle Union). Mirroring some real-life contenders for the title of “greatest of all-time” in the basketball world, Jett is an all-time point leader in the ROAR league for her 15 years of prowess on the Thorns, but she has never won a championship Claw. The media loves to ponder whether Jett can truly be the best without a Claw, but Will doesn’t care; she’s still his hero.

When a wild turn of events suddenly makes Will the sixth member of the Thorns, his life changes forever. And yet, he never forgets where he came from. He still cares about his neighborhood, his friends, and the heart of the game. This is critical as he joins his new teammates, Jett, a black panther, Lenny, a giraffe (Stephen Curry, who also produced and championed the film), Archie (David Harbour), a rhino and gentle parenting father of two chaotic little girls, Olivia (Nicola Coughlan), an ostrich with a lot of anxiety), and Modo (Nick Kroll), who is just delightfully weird.

The best part of GOAT (2026) is that its characters stay true to themselves.

GOAT has a bit of a tough time getting out of the gate, but it recovers in the long-run. The early part of the movie struggles with the typical kids’ animation issue of explaining the plot and character motivations a few too many times via stilted dialogue and unnatural voice acting.

Will, especially in the first scenes when he is younger, is not well-acted. It’s an issue that doesn’t fully resolve by the end, with a number of awkwardly read lines juxtaposed with the more natural readings of his co-stars. But it’s ultimately a distraction more than it is a detriment to what evolves into a solid movie. Get past a few early eye rolls, and you’ll be satisfied with what GOAT (2026) has to offer thereafter.

But as things go on, it’s particularly great that Will keeps true to himself the whole runtime and never gets a giant ego or has to contend too severely with his size difference–it comes up plenty, it’s just not overdone. That would all be such overly-worn territory. This leaves GOAT (2026) with the space to explore much more interesting topics, like how to work on a team with people who aren’t quite like you, and how to learn to pass the torch when your time in the spotlight is up.

GOAT (2026) is all about learning to support one another, because we all rise when one of us rises.

These lessons on humility and community make GOAT the success it is. You are always cheering for all of the members of the Thorns. Even at Will or Jett’s lowest points, they are always heroes to look up to, never making outright villainous choices like you might fear they will.

In fact, during their lowest points, Will and Jett actually talk to each other, work through their problems, see things from each other’s perspectives, and try to apologize and grow together through the issues. It’s a rare thing to see in media for any age. It’s especially heartening in a kids’ movie.

The animation is quite solid as well. GOAT isn’t quite as detailed as some bigger Sony Pictures Animation projects, but the art style stands out well amongst its animation peers. The animal-inhabited world is also distinct from other similar animal worlds in contemporary animation, with a starkly different color tone and line weight. The humor is also of a different class–less reliant on animal-based humor and straightforward kids’ humor. Your mileage may vary therein, but even the worst of it is pretty docile. 

GOAT doesn’t try to oversell its gender equity–it just makes them a matter of fact.

What matters most in GOAT is that the characters learn, grow, and have a good time while staying true to themselves. They learn that their fates are bound to one another as a team and as friends, and that one’s success begets success for the others. It’s quite exciting to watch that journey unfold, especially among a team and a fandom that know no gender boundaries. All are equal in roarball.

And to boot, GOAT neither pats itself on the back for making its greatest player of all-time a woman, nor does it make that fact a contributing factor to the challenges she faces whatsoever. In fact, all of the members of the Thorns have qualities celebrated about them that are atypical of how their gender is usually portrayed in media. It’s quite good characterization all around.

Despite a rocky first quarter, GOAT has great heart and good characters. After the rougher exposition bits early on, the movie really comes into its own to deliver some much-needed lessons about supporting one another and working through conflicts. It might not be the GOAT of animated movies, but it’s definitely a good one.

GOAT is in theaters everywhere February 13.