The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters
A few weeks ago, I went to go see The King of Kong after reading a review by the Filthy Critic. His reviews are usually pretty accurate, and the verdict of "pants-shittingly good" plus the subject matter of the movie (video games!) made me actually get up and go see it.
The crux of the movie is the Donkey Kong world record. Set in 1982 by Billy Mitchell, it remained unsurpassed for over 20 years. Seems crazy, right? You'd think that someone would have beaten the record in that time, but apparently not.
The "protagonist" of the movie, Steve Wiebe, was a Boeing employee who got laid off right after he bought a new house. As a way of managing his stress, he begins playing Donkey Kong. After he learns of Billy's world record, he thinks he can beat it, and actually does so.
However, this sets off a rather strange sequence of events. Steve's tape of his record-breaking game is considered "invalid" by Twin Galaxies, the official record-keeping organization. To prove himself, Steve is asked to play on the "official" machine at an arcade in Florida. After he repeats his high score with a referee watching, Steve is one-upped by a shady video recording sent in by Billy Mitchell (who until that time had been a proponent of playing games in front of audiences).
The rest of the movie revolves around Steve's attempt to challenge Billy to a live match of Donkey Kong, ostensibly to be put in the Guinness Book of World Records. Billy keeps evading this challenge, and through the end of the movie, is never actually seen playing the game.
For me, this movie was pretty interesting. It gives a fascinating look at a gaming subculture with which I have had absolutely no contact. In addition, it's simply well put together: the narrative flows well, and even though the sequence of events doesn't end how most people would like, it's clear who the winner is. I would be pretty interested to know if Shigeru Miyamoto has seen this film, and if so, his thoughts. I definitely recommend this movie.
More information: Official movie site
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ed wrote on :
WIPE MY BUUTTTTTT!!!!! DEREK!!! NO!!!!!