The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters

Reviewed by:
Pete Hammond

The King of Kong is a wonderful piece of filmmaking. It's not only an astoundingly good documentary, but also a great American comedy that contains the most memorable cast of characters seen on-screen in a long, long time—and they're all real! This is a hilarious and richly human tale of two guys trying to hang on to their own twisted dreams of glory. The action centers on the quest by both men, now in their mid-30s, to conquer the video game Donkey Kong, creating a cross-country rivalry that has to be seen to be believed. Steve Wiebe is your basic nice guy now married with kids who never really got his due in school. After losing his job at Boeing, he becomes reobsessed with the game of his youth, spending precious time and money to break the Guinness World Record and become the "King" of Kong. Right in his path is the self-obsessed hot sauce hotshot Billy Mitchell, whose very existence seems to be defined by his dominance in the game, and who now becomes unnerved by this long-distance threat to his crown. With cameras seemingly everywhere, director Seth Gordon captures a slice of Americana that is at once pathetic but ultimately heartening to watch. Following this contest over several months and many miles, Gordon captures all the nuances, craziness, and pride of a suburban subculture, immersing us in the mundane existence that at least these particular overgrown boys can't seem to escape. New Line Cinema has already announced that a big-screen comedy will be made based on this true-life tale, but it's hard to imagine anything as incredible as the real thing. Take a fistful of quarters, all your friends, and go. You will love this movie.