An engrossing story that plucks at the heartstrings just as hard as it pummels the fire buttons.
Comment
06/05/08
The King Of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters (2007)
97
%
Tomatometer
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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 CriticA 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.
06/06/08
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 CriticThe King of Kong is a cleverly made documentary that realizes you can start with something small and seemingly insignificant and make a highly effective and entertaining work.
09/02/07
The film magnificently, and almost inadvertently, captures the story of the American Dream.
08/23/07
Seth Gordon's portrait of obsessive classic arcade game players finds high drama and murky intrigue in the competition for the Donkey Kong world record.
08/17/07
It's very earnest. And funny. And endearing.
12/07/07
An operatic tragicomedy of rivalry, jealousy, failure, and success.
09/13/07
A documentary that successfully takes it to the next level.
09/19/07
Improbably compelling... it's every bit the rousing crowd-pleaser I wanted Rocky Balboa to be.
09/06/07
a fascinating film
08/16/07
About ethics and personal character as much as it is about the weird world of die-hard arcade gaming.
08/19/07
Thankfully The King of Kong plays it straight and let's the players speak for themselves. In this case, the filmmakers may be giving their subjects just enough rope, as the saying goes.
08/16/07
The subtitle of the film is actually an unneeded addition since what the film highlights with piercing exactitude are the lengths grown men won't go to in the long run to prove themselves.
08/03/07
...a fascinating portrait of polar opposites driven by different needs within a freakish world of nerdy obsessives. One not need give a hoot about video games to enjoy this taught, tense and thoroughly entertaining documentary.
08/19/07
A stupendously entertaining nonfiction film concerning the cutthroat battle for world records on coin-operated arcade games.
08/23/07
Documentaries can make you concerned for the environment or fascinated by penguins. And now, they can make you cheer for a guy who plays arcade games in his garage.
05/30/07
Up there with some of the greastest sports docs in that it truly allows the viewer to experience the thrill of competition and agony of defeat.
05/04/07
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
A documentary that is beyond strange.
08/24/07
Top CriticLatest 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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