King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters is an amazingly simple documentary that I couldn't help but get emotionally involved in. Very well done -- a must-see.

Who would have guessed that a documentary about gamers obsessed with scoring a world record at Donkey Kong would not only be roaringly funny but serve as a metaphor for the decline of Western civilization? Using Billy Mitchell's need to stay champ and Steve Wiebe's need to beat him, director Seth Gordon deftly manages to show how age, marriage, fatherhood and so-called ethical thinking will not stop man's need to go to war, no matter how stupid the reason.King of Kong is a wonderful trip down memory lane, especially for us gamers who grew up in the '80s. If you ever played the old arcade games or video console, you simply must see this movie.I have seen it over and over again :)

First off, I'll have to admit that I possess a long-lived love for videogames, and witnessing the opening minutes of the film felt like it carried an anti-gamer agenda behind it. Gladly, the story dramatically focused on a tense rivalry instead. The documentary ultimately delivered due to its utterly compelling narrative that's intelligently told in documentary form. It's quite rare for a documentary to hook you into its characters and more personal matters instead of solely concentrating on educational purposes. With this work, we gather fairly crucial themes that deal with the act of insecurity, the harmful effects of envy in relationships and whatnot, etc. but we also begin rooting for certain characters as the gripping true story progresses. Throughout its plot, we delve into various characters' lives to learn more about them- their personality, circumstances, upbringing, and the like- which cleverly builds up to a finale that sees properly developed characters face off and address the situation, leaving some saddened and others excited. It's truly amazing to experience a real-life occurrence from which a protagonist emerges and a bitter "villain" to oppose him as if it was yet another fictional tale. Adjacent to popular belief, the editing is what differentiates a poorly- made documentary from a good one, and The King of Kong represents the terrific technicality and precision that comes with editing in documentaries as evident by masterfully executed matching-on-action cuts and numerous other instances of cuts that convincingly travel through time/history whilst effectively conveying the elapsing of time in coherent accordance with the story it's trying to tell. In addition, the editing is utilized in rhythmic fashion as it moves along correspondingly with the frenetic, classic music at play. For instance, the drumming sequence- accelerating in its editing techniques, soundtrack's pace, and character's motions- proves just how excellently the film produces these quickly-paced editing segments, which continually retains the movie's intrigue for the audience. Moreover, the evidence is almost always present whenever the characters within are discussing the matter, exhibited by a scene where the player is barely/slightly hit by an enemy in the game- the footage was accurately recorded whether it's actual or staged. With all that being said, it's definitely frustrating to see the gaming community in such competitive uproar over who the best player is and who the loser is. There's a lack of respect for gamers when it comes to the general population and this verification of immature conduct services the people's skepticism. Steve Wiebe minds to himself and walks with a sense of humility, and it ends up paying off when he shocks the active players as he obtains the highest score in Donkey Kong. Everyone else entails unsporting attitude, and though The King of Kong primarily, or likely, centers on more universal thematic material as to attract the broader movie-going public, the unfortunate enmity of these passionate gamers remains prevalent to this day. Overall, The King of Kong accomplishes what the best documentaries do: ensuring it entertains while explaining a shocking or significant event and encrusting it with relevant thematic substance, hoping the audience leaves it with a sense of moral obligation or a need to change for the better, and this reflection of a cruel group certainly makes me feel the duty to do so.

In one, very important aspect, The King of Kong is a truly great documentary film; it manages to address a subject that would seem silly to most viewers at first - that of competitive (to the point of obsessive) classic-video gaming - and make them care about it. The film doesn't, like some other documentaries, look at the situation from afar while subtly mocking the subjects for their weird obsession; it steps into their world and makes the viewer, at least for the duration of the film, care as much as them about who holds the world record in Donkey Kong. That's an impressive feat and it places The King of Kong firmly in the same league as the finest master documentarist Errol Morris has to offer.The story told in The King of Kong is simplistic and manipulative, and what it all boils down to is the flawless underdog and the big, sleazy, corrupt fat-cats. It's a simple and timeless story that's been told many times before and as such it's satisfying to watch, but a lot of it is clearly down to manipulative editing that allows for 'good guys' and 'bad guys' to exist. That's the only real flaw I could find with the film, though; because while this trite and simple story takes place, we get some real insight into the world of competitive gaming and what makes these people tick, and that's enough to make for a truly fascinating document.