The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters

Directed by: Seth Gordon
Starring: Steve Wiebe, Billy Mitchell, Walter Day
Running Time: 1h 19min

Filed under the category, you couldn't make this up, The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters is one of those documentaries that make you shake your head in wonder at the nature of humans and the way we are. What seems like a silly, fun premise, two men compete for the title of Donkey Kong champion, spirals out into an all out war of gorilla like proportions.

Reigning champ Billy Mitchell comes across as a self made man, embodying all that is the American Dream, capitalizing on his success in the eighties Pac Man craze to make a name for himself. With barrel loads of charisma and hot sauce, he wears the crown of Donkey Kong champ with much arrogance.

Which is why, when family man Steve Wiebe enters the picture, mailing in a (hilarious) video tape of his record beating score to the official record keeper Walter Day (who may be the most intriguing yet, bizarrely, the most grounded person in this documentary), it is very easy to root for Steve to beat Billy.

It's a testament to the filmmakers that they make this seem like a battle for the ages, but also keep it close and homey, by making the family man Steve feel like your next door neighbour. He really gets the more congenial treatment, though they do position him at times as a sad sack loser. His supportive family brings a number of laughs, in what is certainly not a laughing matter to them in real life.

Billy, on the other hand, gets positioned as the bully. The villain of the film, either through an honest lens or clever editing, he seems impersonal, despite his success and circuit of friends. In true sports dramatic fashion, we are treated to a showdown that is built up to mega proportions. It's almost a shock to eventually see how casually these video game events occur nowadays versus what it was like in the eighties hay day. However, it's the excitement in the hangers-on, the "crowd" as it were, that adds the interest that seems to be missing from Steve's own family.

Nicely paced, The King of Kong is one of the better documentaries i've seen in some time. The drama is brought forth with some humour, but also some sadness, and if you aren't captivated right until the final frame, then you must be a simian. There is no shame in dropping some quarters on this one.

Grade: B+