“The King of Kong”
PG-13 for some mild profanity. Best suited for teenagers, parents who love documentaries. Those of us who trust in the power of storytelling believe everybody has a tale to tell. They’re just waiting to be asked the right question. But if the subjects at hand seem a little stale, or the issues a bit thin for a full narrative, it sure helps to have some chatty eccentrics hanging around.
The documentary makers who wanted to highlight the tiny, extremely competitive and extremely nerdy world of “competitive retro video-gaming” couldn’t have asked for better than Billy Mitchell and Steve Wiebe. Mitchell is the preening villain with the 1980s mullet and the infuriating smile. Wiebe is the unemployed underdog who loves his family and loses at everything.
In battle, they create documentary magic. When the makers of “The King of Kong” first started filming, Mitchell had long held the accepted world record in the old arcade favorite, Donkey Kong. The mild- mannered Wiebe decided his road back to happiness included topping Mitchell’s record.
Weird enough that grown men care about these things. But then we meet an even odder group of gamers, the self-appointed “referees” who investigate and sanction new records. They seem to be in the crafty Mitchell’s pocket, and he desperately wants to hold onto the records that have brought him some measure of fame in this insular world.
So why is this a movie to watch with your family? I love showing my kids true-life footage of harmlessly quirky people, obsessed with something we never knew was that interesting. “Spellbound,” about the national spelling bee, is a great example, and “Wordplay” is one we’ll feature in coming weeks. “The King of Kong” holds fascinating lessons in fairness and perseverance — not all of them happy lessons.
Michael Booth: 303-954-1686 or mbooth@denverpost.com
