A great little documentary, full of laughs, drama and tension. It's like Rocky, but with a joystick. And an opponent who isn't actually seen stepping into the ring.
Comment
06/06/08
The King Of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters (2007)
97
%
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work 
Reviews Counted:93
Fresh:90
Rotten:3
Average Rating:8.1/10
Consensus: The King of Kong is funny and compelling with more than a few poignant insights into human behavior. Director Seth Gordon presents the dueling King Kong players in all their obsessive complexity and with perfectly al dente observations.
Theatrical Release:06-06-2008
Synopsis: There's more drama in this small documentary than in most serious Oscar contenders. A marriage is on the line, integrity is tested, and friendships falter--all in the name of a video game called... [More]
Director: Seth Gordon
Reviews for The King Of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters
Top CriticYou could hardly call it a paragon of impartial filmmaking, but this is still a compelling and immersive glance into the nature of competitiveness and the corrupting aspects of fame.
06/05/08
Top CriticAn engrossing story that plucks at the heartstrings just as hard as it pummels the fire buttons.
06/05/08
Top Criticevery bit as exciting as any sports %uFB01lm, while also shedding light on how obsessions can combine with corrupt power structures to drive otherwise normal people to ridiculous ends.
07/30/08
It's clear that director Seth Gordon is rooting for Wiebe - but it is not just a trick of the editing that means within 30 minutes of the political machinations of Kong beginning, you will be too.
06/13/08
Gordon invites us to snicker at his cast of hardcore gamers, for whom 'Donkey Kong' tournaments are as vital as Super Bowls and as divisive as the war on abortion. But once embedded in their strange world, he finds a compelling story to tell.
04/10/08
If it weren't for swirling currents of humanity, the film would bore me Gongless. But it turns out to be character thriller with a big finish.
02/22/08
Unquestionably the most engaging and flat-out entertaining documentary since Murderball...
01/31/08
an oddly entertaining and exciting documentary that at times looks like a mockumentary
01/07/08
You could say it's sort of like Murderball, only these guys' disabilities are of the social variety. At any rate, it's a great film
12/18/07
"When We Were Kings" for dorks.
12/11/07
As tremendous an act in empathy as anything Werner Herzog has ever committed to the documentary screen.
12/08/07
Benefits immeasurably from a cast of colorful supporting players, as well as a taut narrative that builds to a surprisingly tense climax.
12/07/07
Is there anything more tiresome than watching people play video games? Seth Gordon's documentary The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters answers that question with a decisive yes: watching a movie about people playing video games.
12/07/07
The King of Kong is as winning, sweet, and occasionally disturbing a documentary about people for whom time has stopped somewhere around 1982 as you'd ever want to see.
12/07/07
A terrifically entertaining documentary about an unlikely subject.
12/07/07
Hilarious and eye-popping.
12/07/07
It's very earnest. And funny. And endearing.
12/07/07
I can't remember a more compelling film this year.
12/04/07
The film paints a strange portrait of a subculture that I found to be a drag.
11/19/07
Latest News for The King Of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters
November 28, 2008:
UK Critics Consensus: Local Critics Warm To Changeling; De Niro Delights But What Just Happened Doesn't
It's Friday, there's a new raft of movies in the UK cinemas this week, but are any of them any good? This week the UK film hacks give us their opinions on Clint Eastwood's... More...
November 17, 2008:
Seth Gordon Talks King of Kong Remake 
"King of Kong" director Seth Gordon has moved into the big time with "Four Christmases" -- but, as he tells Collider, he isn't done with "Kong" just yet. More...
August 07, 2008:
Further Reading: Celebrating the Brilliance of The King of Kong
One documentary from the US last year spoke to avid videogamers more than any other, and in the process told a brilliantly human story about good, evil and Donkey Kong. In this... More...
January 28, 2008:
RT on DVD: King of Kong, The Invasion Top Week's New Releases
There's a veritable buffet of new releases for the discerning cinematic connoisseur this week, ranging from a highly acclaimed battle for joystick supremacy (The King of Kong: A... More...
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