Movies: The King of Kong

If you've never competed for a high score in a video game, you may not understand "The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters." It's a documentary that follows schoolteacher Steve Wiebe (who's a bit of a dork but seems like an all-around nice guy) as he tries to beat the high score on "Donkey Kong," a classic Nintendo arcade game. The current high score is held by legendary arcade player Billy Mitchell, and it's stood for two decades.

It may seem like just a number, but to these players, the high score is significant - after all, it means you're the best in the world. Imagine if there was something you were so good at that no one, past or present, has ever been better - and now imagine what that would do to your ego. That fact, I think, explains a lot of the behavior you'll see in the movie.

There are some flaws, though. The documentary is rarely funny and pretty much never mocks gamers, so don't go in expecting laughs. The pacing is a bit off, and there's no real climax to the movie except for a tacked-on bit at the end. All in all, though, it's worth a look if you like competition.

Rating: 7/10