CinemaSerf

The “Thorns” aren’t doing so well in the “Roarball” league despite the presence of the legendary leopard “Jet” so when owner “Flo” sees a video of the feisty young goat “Will” giving one of the sport’s other celebrities “Mane” a run for his money, she decides to sign him up. It’s a combination of American football and basketball; it’s quickly paced and occasionally violent so needless to say captain “Jet” isn’t impressed with their diminutive and attitudinal young signing. Initially, the whole team are fairly disdainful of their new buddy and she leaves him on the bench, but with the team still struggling maybe it’s time to let him try to prove his worth? This is all fairly procedural stuff and I didn’t love the style of animation - it seemed a little jittery to me and the perspective looked a bit all over the place at times as the story touches predictably on elements of adulation, aspiration, team playing, trust and even some good old greed as it marches along for I felt was quite a long hundred minutes. Aside from the goat and the leopard, there isn’t really much effort put into characterising the other team mates and it could have had more fun with aspects of just how ruthless and venal the business of global sport can be, win or lose, which could have added a bit of depth to it. It’s watchable enough and the plucky "Will" is quite engaging, but it's nothing special.