Sony Pictures Animation has made the world sit up and take notice in recent years thanks to its first two excellent “Spider-Verse” films, which have dazzled on the big screen, and the highly enjoyable and downright infectious “KPop Demon Hunters,” the most-watched title in the history of streaming giant Netflix, with more than 500 million global views.

Now the studio brings us “GOAT,” an underdog tale of a small hooper with a big heart.

While we won’t go so far as to call it “baaaaaad” — sorry, last goat joke, we promise — it’s not in the class of the other movies.

In auditoriums this week, “GOAT” is an example of what we’ll call “short-attention-span theater,” a flick too busy throwing stuff against the wall, with too little of it sticking, to find its emotional core.

It’s promising early on, with its expectedly great looks obvious from the start and an effective-enough introduction to its likable lead character, Will Harris (Caleb McLaughlin). We meet the scrappy goat when he’s just, well, a kid — as he’s being taken to see his first roarball game by his loving mom.

We should stop here and explain that roarball is a lot like basketball, only it’s played by animals and on potentially hazardous surfaces such as ice and one that sits precariously below stalactites. The co-ed game is played exclusively by large creatures, or “bigs,” who are happy to repeat a commonly used phrase: “Smalls don’t ball.”

Nonetheless, as Will watches the hometown Vineland Thorns — with his favorite player, superstar black leopard Jett Filmore (Gabrielle Union) — play, he says, “That’s gonna be me, Mom.”

A decade later, with Mom gone, diner delivery man Will holds on to that dream — trying to sneak practice time at a venue known as “the cage” before the bigs kick him out — even as he’s struggling to hold on to the room he’s renting.

Meanwhile, Jett is still the Thorns’ star, but she’s never brought home the Claw — the league’s championship trophy — with some fans suggesting that, deep into her career, “she’s washed.”

In town to take on the Thorns with his team, the Magma, reigning roarball league MVP Mane Attraction (Aaron Pierre), shows up at the cage to take on all ballers brave enough to go against him for cash. When Will puts up his rent money to face off with Mane, he gets the best of the cocky horse, if only momentarily.

Still, the little goat does enough to go viral, and he’s soon signed by the Thorns’ publicity-hungry warthog owner, Flo Everson (Jenifer Lewis), as the team’s sixth player. When asked by the excited Will if Jett is on board with this, Flo lies through her tusks by claiming it was the star’s idea.

Boy, that is not the case, as Jett — the de facto coach, holding much more power than the teams’ actual leader, Dennis Cooper (Patton Oswalt) — refuses to let Will on the court with her and the other team members: high-strung ostrich Olivia Burke (Nicola Coughlan); Modo Olachenko (Nick Kroll), a Komodo dragon with a big personality; defensive specialist rhino Archie Everhardt (McLaughlin’s “Stranger Things” castmate David Harbour), who’s also a girl dad; Lenny Williamson (Stephen Curry), a giraffe who also aspires to be a rapper.

Of course, Will’s time in purgatory lasts only so long, “GOAT” from there bouncing its narrative ball all over the place wildly. There’s a potentially compelling story about an older player mentoring and then passing the torch to a younger player, but the story by Nicolas Curcio and Peter Chiarelli and screenplay by Aaron Buchsbaum and Teddy Riley only flirts with it.

Director Tyree Dillihay oversees an affair that is energetic and likely to appeal to plenty of young viewers but decidedly lacking in strong storytelling. “GOAT,” which gets some mileage out of the dual meaning of the word, which in sports also is an acronym for “greatest of all time,” succeeds in celebrating the culture that surrounds basketball. That aspect of the movie takes it only so far, however.

Again, it does look pretty darn cool, the filmmakers utilizing tech developed for video games, Epic Games’ Unreal Engine, for some of its undeniable razzle-dazzle. Plus, the character designs are distinct and the world they inhabit is well-conceived and executed.

And “GOAT” does deliver a few humorous moments, our favorite being a frustrated Jett putting in earbuds to listen to a song in which a cat repeatedly sings “meow,” but it’s not exactly a laugh riot.

Lastly, the voice performances are solid, with “Stranger Things” star McLaughlin helping to craft Will into an appealing hero.

The movie’s ties to real-world basketball include Union, wife of retired NBA star Dwyane Wade, and, of course, Curry, a longtime star for the Golden State Warriors. However, even the use of Curry feels off; why have arguably the greatest of all time when it comes to long-distance shooting not voice a sharp shooter in the movie?

“GOAT” has some game, but for all the shots it takes, it scores too few points.

‘GOAT’

2 stars (out of 4)

MPA rating: PG (for some rude humor and brief mild language)

Running time: 1:40

How to watch: In theaters Feb. 13

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Defending Class 2A Hill-Murray has set the table nicely for a repeat run.

The Pioneers are the top side in the big school division after downing previously unbeaten Woodbury in the Class 2A, Section 4 final.

Brackets for both classes were unveiled Saturday morning.

Defending Class A champion Dodge County is seeded fourth, setting the stage for a potential showdown with top-seeded Warroad in the semis, should both teams advance. Dodge County toppled Warroad in overtime of last year’s state title game.

There is no East Metro team in the Class A field for the second straight year.

The winner’s bracket for each tournament will be played at Grand Casino Arena in downtown St. Paul. The semifinals and finals for each class will be televised on KSTC Channel 45. Quarterfinals can be viewed online on the Neighborhood Sports Network.

The complete brackets for each class are listed below and can be found on the MSHSL site.

Brackets will be updated daily on the website with results throughout the tournament.

MN CLASS 2A GIRLS STATE HOCKEY TOURNAMENT

Thursday’s quarterfinals

No. 1 Hill-Murray vs. No. 8 Lakeville North, 11 a.m.

No. 4 Edina vs. No. 5 Bemidji, 1 p.m.

No. 2 Centennial/Spring Lake Park vs. No. 7 Farmington, 6 p.m.

No. 3 Holy Family vs. No. 6 Andover, 8 p.m.

Friday’s semifinals

Thursday afternoon quarterfinal winners, 6 p.m.

Thursday evening quarterfinal winners, 8 p.m.

Saturday’s final

Friday semifinal winners, 7 p.m.

MN CLASS A GIRLS STATE HOCKEY TOURNAMENT

Wednesday’s quarterfinals

No. 1 Warroad vs. No. 8 Luverne, 11 a.m.

No. 4 Dodge County vs. No. 5 Proctor/Hermantown, 1 p.m.

No. 2 Breck vs. No. 7 Saint Cloud, 6 p.m.

No. 3 Blake vs. No. 6 Mankato East, 8 p.m.

Friday’s semifinals

Wednesday afternoon quarterfinal winners, 11 a.m.

Wednesday evening quarterfinal winners, 1 p.m.

Saturday’s final

Friday afternoon semifinal winners, 4 p.m.

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MILAN — Dalibor Dvorsky’s goal with 39 seconds sent Slovakia to the quarterfinals in men’s hockey at the Olympics as the winner of the group in a tiebreaker even after losing to Sweden 5-3 on Saturday in each team’s final preliminary round game.

Slovakia won Group B when Finland crushed host Italy 11-0 later in the day because of goal differential among the three tied teams. The bench celebrated when Dvorsky scored, and players were all smiles afterward.

“It’s probably the best loss I ever had,” said Slovakia’s Juraj Slafkovsky, the reigning Olympic MVP who’s tied with Canada’s Connor McDavid for the most points in the tournament with six apiece. “It’s crazy, but we take it.”

Dvorsky, who plays for the St. Louis Blues in the NHL, also called it the best loss of his life. His goal on the power play after a penalty on Lucas Raymond made it happen.

“We all know what we need to do on the ice,” Dvorsky said. “There was not too much tactics, right? And at this point of the game, just try to get pucks to the net. And at the end, it was a rebound that was the goal.”

Sweden, which played much better than it had in its 4-1 loss to archrival Finland on Friday, was left to lament a missed opportunity even after winning the game. Coach Sam Hallam pulled goaltender Jacob Markstrom in the final seconds while leading by two goals because of the tiebreaker, but Sweden did not score again.

“Tough pill to swallow,” alternate captain Victor Hedman said. “But we will regroup. We’ll be ready for our next challenge.’’

Markstrom stopped 29 of the 32 shots he faced and may have supplanted Filip Gustavsson as Sweden’s starter moving forward. Sweden is locked into the seventh seed and will have to play in the qualification round Tuesday just to make it into the quarterfinals Wednesday.

“It is what it is,” Hallam said. “Just look ahead, everything that’s really good never comes easy.”

Finland 11, Italy 0

Sebastian Aho, Kaapo Kakko, Joel Kiviranta and captain Mikael Granlund each scored twice for Finland in a beatdown of host Italy. The 11-goal margin made it the most lopsided men’s hockey game at the Olympics since 1988, when Sweden beat France 13-2.

Because of goal differential, the Finns were incentivized to run up the score on an overmatched opponent. At one point, Finland had eight goals and Italy had eight shots.

“I’d expect nothing less,” Italy captain Thomas Larkin said. “That’s the game we’re playing here. Yeah, that stings for us obviously from a pride perspective but also in the standings.”

Finland coach Antti Pennanen and his staff told players about the tiebreaker before puck drop.

“They knew that, and then we told them honestly what is the situation,” Pennanen said. “We had a plan. First plan: win the game. And then do goals as much as you can.”

Barring something incredibly unforeseen in games, Finland is into the quarterfinals as the No. 4 seed.

Latvia 4, Germany 3

Eduards Tralmaks and Renars Krastenbergs scored just over three minutes apart, and Latvia defeated Germany. Arturs Silovs of the Pittsburgh Penguins stopped 26 of the 29 shots he faced.

“We’re a good team,” said Zemgus Girgensons of the Buffalo Sabres, one of 10 NHL players on Latvia’s roster. “We believed it. I don’t think we go into the game thinking it’s going to be any other way. We came in today thinking we’re going to win. And that’s what we did. We on paper, probably the best team we’ve had. We’re just going to keep gaining better by every game.”

Germany’s Philipp Grubauer, who was excellent in an opening win against Denmark when he and his teammates were badly outshot, allowed four goals on 22 shots in the loss.

“We just got to find a way to score,” said Tim Stützle, who scored the third goal for Germany. “That’s it. We got to go in the hard areas, know where the other guy is and then make those plays.”

Germany faces the U.S. on Sunday night.

Bruce Helmer and Peg Webb

Career pivots are becoming increasingly common as people look to improve their job prospects or find work that more closely aligns with their values. Whether driven by burnout, a desire for more time flexibility, or the need for longer-term sustainability, changing careers is rarely just a professional decision. It is always a financial one.

While most career changes are triggered by non-financial factors, the consequences show up quickly in cash flow, benefits, taxes and long-term planning. Financial planning does not eliminate the risks of a career pivot, but it can make those risks more visible and manageable.

Career changes are cash-flow events first

One of the most common misconceptions people have about changing careers is looking at it simply as a résumé upgrade rather than a cash-flow transition. Even positive changes often come with temporary income disruption.

New roles may involve delayed earnings increases, lost bonuses, or forfeited deferred compensation. Timing also matters. Vesting schedules, bonus payouts, benefit resets, and even the calendar year can materially affect take-home pay.

Financial stress usually appears a few months after a job change, not on day one. A solid plan focuses first on how expenses will be covered while income stabilizes.

Emergency savings as career capital

Emergency savings play a larger role in career pivots than many people expect. In this context, savings are not just protection, they’re flexibility.

Adequate reserves buy time, reduce pressure to accept a poor offer, and provide negotiating leverage. As a general guideline, people staying in the same field with similar income profiles may need about six months of reserves. Those pursuing a career change, variable income, or self-employment often need closer to nine to 12 months.

Savings targets vary widely. Two households with the same income may require very different reserve levels depending on how much stability or flexibility they need. Once income stabilizes again, reserves can be rebuilt.

Benefits often matter more than salary

Salaries are easy to compare. Benefits are usually not. Career changes frequently shift benefits from employer-subsidized to self-funded. Health insurance premiums and deductibles, retirement plan matches, disability coverage, life insurance, and paid time off can all change dramatically.

A $10,000 raise can disappear quickly if it comes with higher insurance costs or the loss of an employer retirement match. Identifying which benefits must be replaced, and which can be traded for income or flexibility, is a critical step when evaluating any career move.

Career transitions create planning opportunities

Career changes can also create short planning windows that do not exist during stable employment. Lower-income years, temporary cash-flow dips, or job transitions may require complex strategies such as Roth conversions, retirement plan rollovers, or resetting savings habits. Not every strategy matters equally to everyone. For some, liquidity and flexibility are the priority. For others, long-term tax efficiency carries more weight.

Investing in skills is a financial decision

Education, certifications, and professional development are often viewed as expenses. During a career pivot, it is better to view these as investments.

In many cases, the highest return during a transition comes not from markets, but from improved earning power and income stability. Cutting back on skill development to “save money” can limit opportunities and prolong financial stress.

Partial pivots reduce financial risk

Not all career changes need to be abrupt. Some of the most successful pivots are phased, such as consulting while employed, testing a side business, or gradually reducing hours.

Partial pivots preserve current income, reduce savings pressure, and allow proof of concept before making a full commitment.

A practical framework

Before making a career change, it helps to answer these four financially relevant questions:

• How stable does my income need to be?

• How much risk can my household absorb?

• How much flexibility do I need right now?

• How long can I wait for this to pay off?

Values do not change the math, but they determine which math matters. A career pivot can be one of the most self-affirming things you can do in life. It is not reckless if it is planned (and staying in the wrong job without a plan can be the bigger financial risk). Stress-testing cash flow, understanding benefits, and aligning decisions with household priorities can turn change into a manageable and rewarding transition.

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The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual.

Bruce Helmer and Peg Webb are financial advisers at Wealth Enhancement Group and co-hosts of “Your Money” on WCCO 830 AM on Sunday mornings. Email Bruce and Peg at yourmoney@wealthenhancement.com. Advisory services offered through Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC, a registered investment adviser and affiliate of Wealth Enhancement Group.