Shadows on the Wall

Goat

dir Tyree Dillihay
scr Aaron Buchsbaum, Teddy Riley
prd Stephen Curry, Erick Peyton, Michelle Raimo, Adam Rosenberg, Rodney Rothman
voices Caleb McLaughlin, Gabrielle Union, Nicola Coughlan, Nick Kroll, David Harbour, Stephen Curry, Jenifer Lewis, Patton Oswalt, Aaron Pierre, Jennifer Hudson, Sherry Cola, Jelly Roll
release US/UK 13.Feb.26
26/US Sony 1h40

Is it streaming?

With extraordinary painterly artistry and a witty script, this animated romp makes the most of a goofy premise, fully engaging the imagination while packing scenes with funny, knowing details. So while this may be the usual story about an unlikely outsider who surprises everyone, it includes snappy and smart flourishes that pull us in deeper than we expect. So the predictable plot can still catch us by surprise.

Growing up as a roarball fan, young goat Will (McLaughlin) always dreamed of playing alongside his idol, all-star leopard Jett (Union), on the Thorns, his local team. After Will plays a street match against rival player Mane (Pierre), a cocky horse, a viral video clip alerts warthog team owner Flo (Lewis), who recruits Will to be the first "small" in the league, alongside Jett, ostrich Olivia (Coughlan), Komodo dragon Modo (Kroll), rhino Archie (Harbour) and giraffe Lenny (Curry). But the team is in last place, and Will has to find a way to prove himself.

Roarball is an insane variation on basketball, where the Thorns' stadium is overgrown with greenery, and away games involve contending with stalactites, ice and lava. Critters are amusingly anthropomorphised, revealing animalistic natures in hilarious moments. The animators playfully fill the frames with extraneous bits of action. And the visuals are stunningly rendered with light, shadow, textures and colours that have a bracingly original look and feel on the big screen, accompanied by an expert sound mix and a superb Kris Bowers score.

It's no surprise that Will wins over the team, leading to a showdown at the championship game against none other than Mane. And getting there involves a rollercoaster plot that sometimes wobbles as it tries to traverse the usual structure of a sports movie. But it comes to live in the more intriguing, offhanded touches, while the quirky dialog allows the ace vocal cast to inject some surprising personality as each animal takes their own journey.

Diverting gags include commentators (Andrew Santino and Bobby Lee) who riff Pitch Perfect-style on the action. And a gerbil family grows exponentially each time we visit them. Thankfully, the story's salient themes about believing in yourself, taking risks and playing as a team are understated to the point where we don't realise that they're contradictory. And it doesn't matter that the title doesn't quite work as a pun on Greatest Of All Time. Instead, we sit back and laugh at the sharp humour, sigh at the sweet emotion and cheer for the underdog. Or rather, undergoat.

themes, language, violence 8.Feb.26

R E A D E R R E V I E W S

Still waiting for your comments ... don't be shy.