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| King of Kong - A Fist Full of Quarters |
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  (9/10)
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Runtime: 79 |
| Public Rating: 10.00 (1 votes) |
Director: Seth Gordon |
MPAA Rating:  |
| Genre: documentary |
Year: 2007 |
| Writer(s): Seth Gordon |
| Distributor: Picturehouse |
| Reviewed by: LaRae Meadows |
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King of Kong-Fist Full of Quarters is the good vs. evil tale of the world champions of Donkey Kong: Billy Mitchell and Steve Wiebe. These characters couldn’t have been made up better and if they were fictional, if this weren’t a documentary, the film would be unbelievable.
In 1982, Life Magazine did a story on the world’s best video gamers at the time. In that picture was Billy Mitchell, the champion of Centipede, Donkey Kong, and Donkey Kong Jr. It was the beginning of Billy’s rise to fame. After a scandal rocked the video game world, Walter Day decided he would start Twin Galaxies, the official score keepers for video games. It also became headquarters for the Billy Mitchell Cult. The employees, even Day himself, worship Billy Mitchell with a frightening reverence. Their reverence for Billy makes them absolutely unable to verify a score when newbie Steve Wiebe shatters his record.
I admit, at the beginning of this movie I was rolling my eyes at why anyone would care at all about these characters? Who cares about Donkey Kong anymore, right? As the movie progressed, I couldn’t keep my eyes off the screen. The characters were staggering. The stuff that was coming out of Billy Mitchell’s mouth was incredible. You couldn’t have written a story with more bizarre one-liners, more rivalry, and more depth of character than King of Kong.
One description kept coming to mind whenever I saw Billy Mitchell: douche-nozzle. He has long black hair that is perfectly manicured. He has no hair out of place. His shirts are always crisp, his ties always American themed. His full beard is never straggly. No one loved Billy Mitchell as much as Billy Mitchell loves himself. He believes that his experiences as a world class gamer have made him an all around better than you person, if he does say so himself. He said, “I’m the most seasoned person in the hot sauce chicken wing business.” (His profession is chicken wing sauce.) His wife looks like she inflated her boobs for the occasion. He is the Charles Manson of the classic video gamer’s world.
His little minions all agree with him. Walter Day, the director of Twin Galaxies, goes on at length about Billy’s skills. He fancies himself a musician and has written songs in honor of Billy. His frightening sunken eyes, wiry physique, loose hold on reality and disturbing reverence for Billy earns him the title of Creepy Disciple. Less creepy but far more sheepish is his sidekick Steve Sanders. After Billy ousted him as a big fat cheating liar in 1982, they became fast friends. Now Steve plays Robin to Billy’s Batman, following him around like a puppy.
Robert Mruczek is the head referee for Twin Galaxies and is one of those guys on the fringes of society who seem to believe that there really are super heroes and never really had to adapt to the real world. All of his minions reminded me of the little alien toys in the claw scene of Toy Story.
Unlike Billy, Steve Wiebe’s only followers are his family and close friends. He doesn’t have hordes of followers or a side kick. When he lost his job he just wanted something he could be in control of, so he decided he’d give the record a try. He didn’t know what he was getting into, and the stress and behavior of the group often leaves him with palpable emotional sequences. He used Donkey Kong to get through some difficult emotional times. Steve Wiebe is a little strange, with quirks and oddities that make him weird but not a weirdo.
The director, Seth Gordon, does a remarkable job of humanizing both sides of this epic battle and building tension while not taking the subject too seriously. When Steve is attempting to break Billy’s records there are secret phone calls that are perfectly shot to make them look sinister. Gordon edited those scenes together to make such an inscrutable feeling. He starts the movie off light but as it goes on, it builds tension and the audience gets wrapped up in this lopsided competition of David and Goliath.
I’m no big fan of video games and video gamers. Generally, I think they’re stupid and am grateful that their awkward nature keeps them from spawning. That being said, I was drawn completely in by King of Kong- A Fist Full of Quarters. The characters couldn’t be more unrealistic, surprising, strange and fascinating if they were made up. If your local theater isn’t showing this movie, call them and request to see it!
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