Goat

Basketball fans can argue whether Stephen Curry is the G.O.A.T., but the Golden State Warriors sharpshooter is definitely the Goat in this breezy animated comedy that should appeal to kids without boring their parents.

Curry doesn’t provide the voice for the diminutive protagonist who dreams of making the pros, but he  from shots “from the logo” to his signature “night-night” gesture.

It’s an amusing if thoroughly predictable underdog saga that should resonate with aspiring young hoopers looking for some inspiration in the age of social media and viral videos.

The story is set primarily among the lush greenery of Vineland, a city where a pint-sized goat named Will (voiced by Caleb McLaughlin) cheers for the local team, the Thorns.

Despite his stature, Will hopes to one day play for the Thorns in roarball, an intense sport that mingles genders and species, turning players into gladiators and courts into Mad Max-style dystopian battlegrounds.

He’s especially fond of panther and Thorns star Jett Fillmore (Gabrielle Union), as he explains to his working-class mother (Jennifer Hudson). “That’s gonna be me,” Will exclaims. “I’m gonna be just like her.”

Will is told repeatedly that he’s too small, but catches a break when he shuts up a trash-talking horse (Aaron Pierre) at the park, and the resulting footage turns him into an overnight celebrity.

That’s enough for warthog Flo (Jenifer Lewis), the owner of the Thorns looking to revive the struggling squad on the cheap. But the new acquisition doesn’t sit well with Jett, suddenly turning Will’s hero into an adversary.

Rookie director Tyree Dillihay emphasizes chaos over coherence while rendering an imaginative world of vine-infused urban landscapes and anthropomorphic creatures.

For those outside the target demographic, the story comes off as cheesy and derivative, and the product placement is excessive. The screenplay delivers some scattered big laughs while also throwing up some bricks en route to the obligatory big-game finale.

However, youngsters will be able to identify with and root for the impressionable and resilient Will. Lessons about teamwork, hometown pride, and following your dreams are dispensed with minimal subtlety or surprise.

Adopting the same youthful swagger as its title character, much of Goat feels like a hybrid of Space Jam and Like Mike with a Gen Z sensibility. Yet with its lively voice cast and vibrant, richly detailed visuals, this crowd-pleaser still scores plenty of points.

Rated PG, 95 minutes.