GOAT 2026 Review

Animated films have been evolving rapidly over the past decade, and GOAT is another example of how bold studios are becoming with their visual style. Produced by Sony Pictures Animation, the same studio responsible for the Spider-Verse films and KPop Demon Hunters, the movie clearly carries forward the animation techniques that made those projects so visually exciting. Right from the first few minutes, it is obvious that this film wants to stand out. The art and animation style are vibrant, energetic, and full of colour. It feels alive in a way many animated films do not.

One of the biggest visual elements that stood out was the delayed keyframe style made famous by the Spider-Verse movies. Characters move with a slightly stylised rhythm, almost like panels from a comic book coming to life. It gives the animation a textured feel that makes even simple movements interesting to watch. This approach works especially well during the sports sequences, where the exaggerated motion adds to the energy of the game.

The film itself tells the story of Will Harris, a young goat who dreams of becoming the greatest of all time in a sport called roarball. Roarball is essentially the movie’s version of basketball, played in a fast paced, full contact league dominated by larger and stronger animals. Will has the heart and passion to play at the professional level, but physically he seems outmatched by the predators and powerhouse athletes around him. After a viral moment catches the attention of a struggling professional team, Will gets a once in a lifetime chance to prove that even the smallest player can make a difference on the court.

The voice cast is packed with talent. Caleb McLaughlin, best known from Stranger Things, voices Will Harris. Other cast members include Gabrielle Union, Aaron Pierre, Nicola Coughlan, David Harbour, Nick Kroll, Patton Oswalt, Jennifer Hudson, Jenifer Lewis, and even NBA star Stephen Curry in a supporting role. With that kind of lineup, you expect strong performances, and for the most part the film delivers.

Overall the voice acting is good. Gabrielle Union brings a lot of confidence and charisma to her character, Aaron Pierre gives the main rival some real presence, and actors like David Harbour and Nick Kroll add personality to the team dynamic. There are a lot of fun characters here, and most of them get enough personality to stand out.

That being said, the performance that didn’t quite work for me was Caleb McLaughlin’s. It is not that he is bad, but his voice acting felt a little flat compared to the rest of the cast. Voice acting for animation is a very different skill to live action acting. You have to give life to a completely digital character using only your voice. That usually means exaggerating emotion, pacing, and reactions. In this film it often felt like Caleb was simply speaking lines the way someone would in the real world rather than fully embodying the animated character. Because of that, Will sometimes feels less expressive than the characters around him.

That becomes more noticeable when you compare his performance to actors like Nicola Coughlan or Patton Oswalt, who lean more heavily into the animated style of performance. They bring energy and exaggeration that helps their characters feel lively and unique. Another issue I had with the film was the pacing. Many of the big emotional moments feel rushed. Something great happens and instead of letting the audience enjoy the moment, the film quickly moves on to the next scene. The same happens with the dramatic or negative beats. The story jumps forward quickly without always giving the audience time to process what just happened.

Because of that, some of the character development feels a bit shallow. There are moments where you feel like a storyline is about to expand or deepen, but instead the movie quickly transitions into the next sequence. It almost feels like certain story ideas were trimmed down to keep the runtime moving.

There are also a few story beats that do not fully make sense, although I will not go into detail about those since it would spoil parts of the movie. Let’s just say there are moments where things happen very conveniently for the main character. Will begins the film as a complete nobody in the roarball world, but his rise to being an all star level player happens so quickly that it almost feels like the story wrote itself into a shortcut.

That does not mean the story is bad. In fact the overall concept is solid. An underdog athlete chasing a dream in a world where everyone tells him he does not belong is a classic formula for a reason. It works emotionally and it is easy for audiences, especially younger viewers, to connect with that idea.

One of the standout elements of the film is the soundtrack. The music throughout the movie is fantastic and really lifts the energy of the scenes. There were several moments where I caught myself bopping my head along with the rhythm of the soundtrack. The blend of hip hop influenced beats with cinematic scoring adds excitement to the sports scenes and helps give the movie its own personality.

Visually the film never stops being impressive. The colours are bold and expressive, and the animation style constantly keeps your eyes engaged. The way the camera moves through the roarball matches is especially creative. Fast cuts, exaggerated perspective, and stylised motion effects give those scenes a real sense of speed and chaos.

Even though the story has pacing issues, the world itself is fun to spend time in. The animal characters are designed with plenty of personality, and the different species bring interesting visual contrasts to the sports action. Seeing a small goat competing against massive predators and towering animals adds a playful dynamic to the competition.

At the end of the day GOAT is a very entertaining film, even if it is not perfect. Visually it is one of the most exciting animated movies in recent years. The art direction, colour palette, and animation style are genuinely impressive and show how much Sony Animation continues to push creative boundaries.

However, the film is still a lot of fun. It is energetic, colourful, and packed with memorable music and exciting sports sequences. And for the film’s main audience, which is kids and families, many of the issues that stand out to adult viewers will probably not matter at all. Younger audiences will likely just enjoy the humour, the action, and the vibrant animation.

Overall GOAT is a visually exciting animated film that could have been even better with stronger pacing and a more developed character arc. Even so, it remains an enjoyable watch. That’s why I rate the film 7/10.