About an hour into King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters the film gives the first glimpse at its larger picture. Just after submitting his record-breaking videotape to Twin Galaxies, an organization that recognizes video game high scores, Steve Wiebe comes home to find spies in his garage, investigating his equipment.
This scene epitomizes King of Kong, a documentary that starts out as about one suburbanite's quest to set a new high score at Donkey Kong, but becomes a film about conspiracy, nepotism and bureaucracy. Wiebe has more than his fair share obstacles to overcome on his way to setting the record, most of which come from Billy Mitchell, the reigning record holder and hot sauce entrepreneur. Mitchell is a legend in classic arcade world and held numerous world records, including the first perfect game in Pac Man. Donkey Kong is the only record he has left and he does everything in his power to keep it.
Throughout the film Mitchell complains about the legitimacy of submitting pre-recorded scores and then submits one of his own by tape, he works as a referee for Twin Galaxies and knows all of the judges, he has spies at competitions that relay information back to him and he goes out of his way to avoid Wiebe when he comes to Florida for a national tournament.
It's actually during these scenes that the documentary reveals its bias in Wiebe's favor. Between his bloated ego, ridiculous mullet and patriotic neckties, it's easy for director Seth Gordon to make Mitchell the bad guy — he does it to himself. But Gordon goes out of his way to make this clear by reiterating Mitchell's contradictions and using charts and graphs that exaggerate Wiebe's accomplishments and discount Mitchell's.
Doing this works and it doesn't. On one had, it gives us a clear-cut narrative with an underdog protagonist and self-indulgent, unlikable antagonist. On the other, we miss out on Mitchell's side of the story. In his world he's still a God among old school gamers, but in truth he's a man whose cultural real estate is rapidly shrinking.
Of course, it's hard not to like the path Seth Gordon chose to take the film. It is simple, it moves briskly and it's painfully funny at points, like when Mitchell likens the high score controversy to the abortion issue or when Wiebe's four-year-old son interrupts a high score attempt by pleading, "Wipe my butt! Stop playing Donkey Kong!"
Speaking of Wiebe, there hasn't been a more likable protagonist in a film in a long time. From his gapped-toothed grin to the long list of troubles that have befallen him, Wiebe is an everyman, a loveable loser who chose to master an arcade game when so much of his own life was in turmoil. There won't be a single person to see King of Kong that doesn't root for Wiebe (except for Billy Mitchell) and it's hard to watch him without being reminded of someone else that missed their chance for greatness or let bad luck wear them down.
It's too bad the film had to end on such a forced high note. Wiebe's family and joy as father are shoehorned in at the last minute in place of a proper climax and resolution. Still, kudos to Gordon for making a film that took the seemingly boring topic of old school video gaming and made it into something as engaging, heartfelt and entertaining as the finished product.
4 Pop Corn Bags (Out of a possible 5)