If there is a genre that I love when it is done well, it is the quirkumentary. The quirkumentary is a documentary but it focuses on an unusual activity that is rich with unusual little characters and the focus is often to produce an entertaining film much more than it is to inform.
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.
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.
I have to admit that I don't understand what makes these people so driven to conquer this game and go down in the history books for being so great at it. It was casual curiosity that made me watch this.
Being a big oldschool arcade gamer myself I was interested in this documentary. I can't see everybody enjoying this documentary though, if you never played Donkey Kong, PacMan, Frogger, Galaga, Q-Bert etc...
People do realise that Billy Mitchell is a proven cheater and compulsive lier right? You've all been fooled!
If you are a fan of the 80s and with playing video game machines where the real games are. Then this is a film for you.
WARNING: May contain a spoiler. Don't read if you have not viewed.
I really wasn't expecting to see a well put together film when I started watching The King of Kong. I was more interested in the subject matter.