ace, the documentary may be about an egotistical hot-sauce salesman named Billy Mitchell defending his world record on the old Donkey Kong arcade game, but really it's about one man's need to regain his confidence and self-esteem. That man is Steve Wiebe, a mild-mannered family man and math teacher who's encountered a few bumps in the road of life. Unexpected unemployment leaves him with too much free time, so he throws all he's got into trying to best Mitchell's score.
I won't spoil the end, but he's my new hero. Turns out, the adage that it's not whether you win or lose is true " it's all how you play the game.
Director Seth Gordon lucked into a gold mine of a story in this rivalry, and what emerges is an imminently watchable, just-about-perfect film. Even those who don't think they like documentaries or video games can't help but be entranced.
The disc presents a wealth of bonus footage, and a brief cartoon of Kong history. But the coolest feature is its flippable cover, feature a charming coin-op montage from artist Scott Campbell. To see this film is to love it.
"Rod Lott
