Sony Pictures Animation’s GOAT was released this month in the U.S. on February 13, 2026, and it’s one of the most happy-go-lucky, colorful, and vibrant animated films of the decade. GOAT is a sports comedy telling the story of Will Harris, who’s a small goat with BIG dreams of becoming the “Greatest Of All Time”(or GOAT), of roarball, which is a stand-in for basketball. He receives a rare opportunity to play alongside seasoned pros(Jett and friends) and has to overcome self doubt, tough competition, trash talk, and team chemistry. It features a charismatic voice cast, an underdog plot, the breaking of traditional gender norms, one of my favorite basketball players of all time, and the finest furries since Zootopia. The movie isn’t just about getting better, trying to dunk, or making shots; it’s about believing in yourself, and rewriting the game, just like Stephen Curry did.
If you’re unaware, as a producer and voice actor, the point guard for the Golden State Warriors Stephen Curry’s influence on the movie is undeniable. The movie seems to symbolize Curry’s own real-life journey, from being overlooked at draft picks because of his size(a meager 6’2, I know, like a dwarf) to four time NBA champion, being in the GOAT debate, and influencing the entire game as a whole, sparking an era of shooting in a previously mid-range and dunking dominated sport. Like Will, Curry was an underdog who refused to let size or society define who he was and what he could do, portraying confidence, resilience, and change.
But that’s enough about Curry; it’s time to read the reviews. Most critics find that GOAT is a solid film, with a roughly 80% positive review rate. Primary compliments usually gravitate towards animation, which isn’t shocking as they used the same overworked animators who worked on other visually spectacular animations like K-Pop Demon Hunters and Into The Spider Verse, an uplifting and passionate story, and decent marketing. However, I do have some critiques. The film is obviously very children-orientated, more so than the trailer suggests, and as most child audience movies tend to have, there’s a very formulaic plot. There’s nothing we haven’t seen before(besides Jett Filmore, a baddie right there with Judy Hopps, the deuteragonist and the real GOAT of the story) with the sports arc, with almost no surprises or deep narrative risk. Although they were all charming and had their own unique personalities, a lot of characters were also left underdeveloped, which made them feel less real and also lowered engagement in turn(e.g, Jett and Will’s ENTIRE team).
This doesn’t make the movie bad, however. GOAT plays its genre and its target audience very safely. For families, kids, animation fanatics, and even hardcore basketball fans, it’s still appealing, right there with recent Pixar or Dreamworks box office standouts. I’d rate it an 8/10; once it gets out of theatres, you should definitely give it a watch!
