An animated film which in very much in the same vain as South Park, Monkey Dust and, in my opinion, Rockos Modern World. George the Hedgehog is as funny as it is a social commentary, but it contains plenty of moments where it borders funny and creepy.
George the Hedgehog (Wojciech Wawszczyk, Kuba Tarkowski, & Tomek Lesniak) is based on a popular Polish comic of the same name. The story follows George (Borys Szyc), the titular character and the mad scientists who clone him, as well as two neo-nazis and a bored married women named Yola (Maria Peszek) who George is having an affair with. George is cloned and his clone is used as a political pawn to sway the youth vote and give his handlers control of the country.
The film is funny, combining ‘fart’ humour and quick jokes about sex with the longer satire humour about Polish society. Not all of the gags are funny, but some are downright hilarious, and others sit on the fence between outright laughter and cringe-worthy levels of creepiness. George the Hedgehog also takes many punches at American entertainment, showing it to be utterly rubbish, yet everyone applauds it, these are small jokes that heighten the films cultural relevance. Some of the best humour is played on the long joke, by building up the characters of the neo-nazis only to have a final reveal which is arguably the funniest moment of the film. The style of the film is initially difficult, but it does become a part of its charm.
For all George the Hedgehogs humour it does deal with serious issues such as the alienation of youth culture from Poland and its politicians desperation to re-establish a connection, as well a pretty scathing indictment of the current state of racism in Poland. Its these combinations which draw the comparison with South Park, and will no doubt have George the Hedgehog picking up status as a cult classic in no time. Overall the film has its weaknesses but these are made up for with some very funny elements and some surprisingly deep social commentary, and whilst it is not going to become a box office smash and your average person will never hear of it, many college and university students will be hailing it as the cult classic they love.
Go to the LIAF website for more information http://www.liaf.org.uk/
