THE KING OF KONG: A FISTFUL OF QUARTERS — **** — Documentary feature about video arcade game competitions; rated PG-13 (vulgarity, profanity, violence)
If, going into the summer-movie season, anyone had said that the best picture would be a documentary about video arcade games, that person probably would have been mocked.
But it's true.
"The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters" is a much better and more entertaining movie than any of the summer's big-budget studio-released films. In fact, "Kong" has more humor, more drama and more humanity than all of the summer's top 10 movies combined and even delivers some sly commentary on how out of whack American priorities have become.
The movie's title refers to "Donkey Kong," which is recognized as the most popular arcade game in the world. Filmmaker Seth Gordon focuses on two world-class Donkey Kong players: Billy Mitchell, the reigning world champ, according to the Twin Galaxies group, which feeds information to the Guinness Book of World Records, and Steve Wiebe, who's just been laid off from his job and wants to prove something to himself, and a lot of other people.
Gordon's film shows Wiebe juggling family and other responsibilities — sometimes hilariously — as he actually manages to set what he believes is a new record. He also enters some "live" game competitions, hoping to go head-to-head with Mitchell.
Since the film's release, there have been some challenges to its accuracy, and Gordon definitely doesn't paint Mitchell in the most positive light. But any impression of Mitchell is built on his own words and actions as a shameless self-promoter, which causes him to become the summer's most hissable movie villain.
Meanwhile, soft-spoken, nice-guy Wiebe appears to be the exact opposite, and becomes the underdog everyone is rooting for.
You'll probably find yourself riveted to your seat during the surprisingly tense final third. Who knew that watching people as they play a video arcade game could be so thrilling?
"The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters" is rated PG-13 for some suggestive language and references (slang terms), some scatological references, scattered profanity, and video-game violence. Running time: 79 minutes.
E-mail: jeff@desnews.com