Film Name: 奇迹梦之队 / GOAT
I went to see the newly released animated film “GOAT” over the weekend. It wasn’t particularly disappointing or surprising—it was pretty much exactly what I expected.
If I had to sum up this film in one sentence, it would be: it uses a style reminiscent of “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” (albeit with some frame skipping) to tell a very American sports-themed story in the vein of “Zootopia.”
Aside from its outstanding visual style, “GOAT”‘s biggest selling point is probably the involvement of basketball star Stephen Curry as a producer and voice actor. Crossovers between sports and entertainment are nothing new, and this is another interesting attempt—if you’re into this kind of animation or basketball, you can go see it without a second thought; you won’t regret it.
Of course, for an ordinary viewer like me who isn’t a sports fan, and without the usual fan-driven enthusiasm, the actual viewing experience can only be described as “pretty good.” After all, whether it’s the underdeveloped world-building or the predictable “American Dream” trope, the film falls short of excellence.
Will, a small-statured goat, has dreamed of becoming a pro basketball player since childhood. But when he unexpectedly joins the team of his dreams, he discovers that his idols, teammates, and the dream itself aren’t quite as wonderful as he imagined. Ultimately, he overcomes all obstacles and leads the struggling team to an underdog championship victory… You can judge for yourself just how cliché this plot is.
So, I’ll just discuss two aspects of *GOAT* that I think are particularly well-done and left a lasting impression on me.
First, it fully captures the “community/local” grassroots support and fan atmosphere that defines sports.
Will’s mother, the film’s protagonist, has always been a fan of the Thorns, the team based in their city, Will grew up in this basketball-centric environment. Whether among his friends, at the restaurant where he worked, or on the street courts, basketball was always a central topic and part of daily life. When the legendary star Jett was on the verge of losing faith in herself, it was Will who took her to a small local restaurant, where she experienced the fans’ most genuine and heartfelt support—and it was this that helped her regain her confidence.
This kind of unwavering support and encouragement, stemming from the locals’ love for their hometown and their steadfast loyalty to their team, is precisely one of the most compelling aspects of competitive sports.
Another is the unique design of “Roarball” in the film.
At first glance, this sport resembles basketball, but a closer look reveals significant differences: the physical contact is more intense, the standard for calling fouls is lower, and the court design is incredibly dangerous. Combined with the distinct racial abilities of the animal athletes, Roarball offers a massive home-court advantage, exceptionally high on-court freedom, and plenty of highlights.
The Thorns’ home court—the protagonist’s team—is actually the closest thing to a standard basketball court (albeit with numerous obstacles and thorns scattered across the floor). The home courts of the other teams are even more extreme: some are filled with swirling sand, others feature falling stone pillars, some have shattering ice surfaces, and others are set amidst mountains of lava… Players must consider more than just dribbling, dribbling past defenders, and shooting tactics; they must also constantly adapt to the complex and ever-changing threats of the court. Without some skills or special moves up their sleeves, they simply can’t play the game.
The film’s portrayal of “Roaring Ball” is actually quite rough; upon closer inspection, there are quite a few plot holes. Even so, it’s already quite entertaining. If it were refined with a bit more attention to detail, I believe the film’s quality could be taken to the next level.
Unfortunately, “GOAT” doesn’t seem to be aiming for that. It just wants to use a sport that doesn’t quite resemble basketball to make a basketball movie—much like how it uses the size contrast between goats and other large animals to highlight the difficulty of Will’s pursuit of his dream, rather than actually designing a fully realized “Zootopia”-like world…
That’s why I said earlier that the film’s quality is merely passable; it hasn’t reached the point where I can confidently praise or recommend it.