Ah, Pepe the Frog. This light, friendly comic character has been co-opted for some pretty terrible things over time.

I don’t think artist Matt Furie had any idea that Pepe would become a meme, and a symbol of hatred, but his fight to reclaim his precious animated frog does make for pretty incredible documentary fodder.

Director Arthur Jones makes his debut with this illuminating, truly fantastic documentary about Furie’s attempt to take back the iconic cartoon Pepe the Frog from hate groups and even Trump supporters, and move it back into a good realm.

The interviews in this film are really, really integral in that they give us a look into Furie as a person, and when his viewing of Pepe’s online popularity as a meme goes from shrugging curiosity to serious concern.

When people like Steve Bannon begin using Pepe as a symbol of those who want to “Make America Great Again”, the easygoing Furie has to fight back and use copyright to keep Pepe out of the clutches of news outlets and Americans who are both profiting off the character and using him for nefarious purposes.

This is a really cool, well-made and highly touted documentary, and for good reason. Every moment I spent with Matt Furie and Pepe was well worth it.

4/5 Stars