Details
Movie Description
There's more drama in this small documentary than in most serious Oscar contenders. A marriage is on the line, integrity is tested, and friendships falter--all in the name of a video game called DONKEY KONG. THE KING OF KONG may inspire both tears and frustrated sighs, but it's most remarkable for its humor. In the same vein as WORDPLAY and SPELLBOUND, this is a hilarious documentary that enlightens as it entertains. Billy Mitchell is a towering figure in the world of classic video games such as DONKEY KONG and PAC-MAN. He has held records in several games, and his high score in DONKEY KONG (considered the toughest of the old titans) has been unbeaten for decades. But newcomer Steve Wiebe finds purpose in the game after losing his job, and discovers his natural aptitude at the game. The amiable Steve is just as likely to win the "nice guy of the year" award as he is to best Billy's record, and this film casts him as a classic hero that viewers love to root for.
While Steve is an audience favorite, Billy is a Machiavellian mastermind that rivals any villain from a narrative film. Even though some might argue that the Super Bowl or NCAA tournament is more important, the competition in THE KING OF KONG rivals the most exciting in sports. Thanks to the film's wonderful characters, it's easy to get involved in the drama. Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction, and the people who populate THE KING OF KONG are as fascinating as any screenwriter's creation.
Industry Reviews
3 stars out of 4 -- "[N]ot only roaringly funny...[but] a metaphor for the decline of Western civilization..."
Rolling Stone - Peter Travers (08/23/2007)
"[A] funny and madly arresting new documentary..." -- Grade: A
Entertainment Weekly - Owen Gleiberman (08/24/2007)
"[E]ntertaining....THE KING OF KONG becomes a gripping, you-are-there chronicle of a sports challenge in which a malevolent insider is pitted against a good-guy interloper."
Box Office - John P. McCarthy (09/01/2007)
"[T]he movie's ROCKY formula proves irresistible..."
New York Times - Matt Zoller Seitz (08/17/2007)
"[A] sprightly new documentary that's as compulsively watchable as the vintage video game it focuses on is addictive."
Los Angeles Times - Kenneth Turan (08/17/2007)
5 stars out of 5 -- "[A] touching, riveting and hilarious story. KING OF KONG is the rare result of a real-life drama managing to unfold on screen -- the perfect documentary."
Ultimate DVD - Kate Bryant (04/01/2008)
4 stars out of 5 -- "This is ROCKY for gameheads -- a tale of one man's struggle to go the distance and beat the odds..."
Empire - James Dyer (07/01/2008)
"The reason KING OF KONG is compelling viewing is that its protagonists take their 'sport' with the utmost seriousness....You can't help but be drawn in by the sheer obsessiveness of Gordon's subjects."
Sight and Sound - Geoffrey Macnab (08/01/2008)
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