Review of The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters (2007) by Peter G — 02 Jan 2010

While the documentary is not entirely in-touch with what gamers are, at least it treats them with the respect they deserve. King of Kong captures gamers in their raw element and makes learning about some random person's story all the more engaging, especially when it is very poignant and wrapped in human emotion.

Billy Mitchell is renowned for his Donkey Kong score and has claim to being the best in the World. After so many years of being that king, Billy isn't ready to let any random person take his score without live competition.

Cue in Steve Wiebe, a man who was just laid off from work and has nothing to turn to. With his free time, Steve decides to try and topple Billy's world record run...and succeeds on video. Billy doesn't allow this score to pass, though, so Steve needs to prove himself in front of a crowd.

How his documentary works is by using a sort of low budget approach to film making. There are no real cuts or flashy interlude cards to keep you in the know, everything flows and characters are introduced by stating their name and what they do. It almost feels like a piece made for the evening news and it is extremely informative.

We learn the entire backstory of Billy Mitchell and Steve Wiebe from their own words. We even get insight into Steve's short comings from his wife who dearly cares about him. The story is directed so well that you get at the core of what makes humanity possible. Even if these people's stories sound ridiculous to the average person, that is how gamer's role.

The music used throughout is a decent selection, not the greatest thing ever. It sometimes over powers what the people are talking about, but the cuts in the beginning of Steve playing his music are spliced in well. Even later in the movie they add a certain dramatic impact that helps show the immediacy of his situation.

What really sweetens the deal with this documentary is the length. While you would never want a documentary to run too long, King of Kong clocks in at a mere 89 minutes. This really helps get through to the heart of Steve's story and even keeps non-gamers interested by leaving out bits that are unnecessary (like the backstory of what Donkey Kong is).

The best bit, though, is how much respect is given for Donkey Kong. This documentary could have been a piece on how disastrous gaming is, but instead gamers are given the respect they sorely deserve. For that alone, this movie is worth a watch from everyone.