The King Of Kong: A Fistful Of Quarters

So everyman USA and constant failure Steve Weibe sets out to beat the high score held in Donkey Kong, a record that to that point had stood about twenty years. The record holder is a guy called Billy Mitchell, he looks like a cheap Vegas magician, owns a chain of chicken restaurants and constantly speaks in lame metaphors. Problem is Billy Mitchell is also one of the referees judging the attempts to break the records he holds. Now Steve is plunged headlong into a world of shady dealings, dodgy video tapes and an evil empire designed to stop him at every turn.

Sounds like a "mockumentary" but this is actually a true story. The thing is populated by guys who wear weight lifting gloves so they can play Crystal Castles all day, a referee who now wants to pursue a career in folk and a video tape of a record breaking attempt that features a kid shouting at his Dad to stop playing Donkey Kong so he can wipe his arse. Turns out you really can't make it up.

What's so amazing about King Of Kong is that it's one of the most enthralling and genuinely exciting films I've seen in absolute ages. The story itself is the ol' normal, good family guy against the grinding gears of big organisation, it's just that it's all based around some geeky blokes playing a computer game about a plumber taking on a monkey.

It's also a story about obsession and doing what it takes, no matter what, to be the best. As much as Billy Mitchell comes out of the thing looking like a pompous, cheating prick, Steve Weibe is shown all but neglecting his kids in his pursuit, including that aforementioned bum incident. Not only that but relationships are destroyed, reputations are called into question and there are twists on the level of political thrillers. I don't want to ruin the tale for those who don't know it because some of the stuff that happens is actually unbelievable, even more so than Billy Mitchell's abortion comment.

And that's King Of Kong's biggest selling point, it's an enthralling tale, well told. For a film that features a guy sitting at an arcade cabinet playing Donkey Kong while others around him discuss the possibilities of making a perfect game on Pac-Man to actually make your stomach queasy with nerves is one hell of an achievement on the film maker's part. You care about what these people are going through, and if you don't know the world of classic game high scores you really can't guess where this is going to take you thanks to the twists in the tale. No matter your position on games King of Kong: A Fistful Of Dollars is a fantastic film that just so happens to hinge on them. If you hate them it won't change your mind, especially about those who play them constantly, but you'll end up not caring. When the proceedings are this interesting the subject matter could be about anything.