THE KING OF KONG (2007)

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DIRECTOR: SETH GORDON

CINEMATOGRAPHER: SETH GORDON

WRITER: SETH GORDON

BUDGET: ?

GROSS: $790,128 (worldwide)

There have been some great rivalries in the history of sports and some epic battles among champions.  There was the Ali v. Foreman Rumble in the Jungle, there was Aarons quest to pass Babe Ruth's career home run number, the epic 2008 Wimbledon finals between Federrer and Nadal and then there was Steve Wiebe and Billy Mitchell.

If those last two names don't sound familiar I can tell you that they are the two greatest Donkey Kong video game players who have ever lived. The King Of Kong is a great documentary about these men and their rivalry to be the best ever.

Mitchell is the Babe Ruth/Muhammad Ali/Bill Russell/etc... of classic video games. He has held numerous records and his Donkey Kong record (considered by many to be the hardest game ever) stood for over 20 years. 

Wiebe is a guy who, when he lost his job, went looking for something he could control, found out about the Donkey Kong record and set out to beat it.

If you’re thinking that you don't care about video games and therefor wouldn't like the film, stop thinking that right now!!!  This movie and its cast of characters is completely awesome and Shakespearean in some of its elements with the twists, the turns, the rivalries, sabotage and conniving plans. It’s so much fun to watch and the way the filmmakers made the film, so that it was very much about the characters and the quest and didn't go the make-fun-of-the-people-who-take-this-stuff-so-seriously route, was even better.

This is the story of one man taking on the system.  It’s completely fascinating, totally unpredictable and a great documentary.