Reviewer’s grade: A
The arcade classic Donkey Kong is one of the hardest video games to master, which is why the high score, set in 1982 by gaming bad-ass Billy Mitchell, lasted for more than 20 years. After another life disappointment, happily married father of two Steve Wiebe decides it’s high time he holed himself up in the garage to beat the score. But the arcade nerd faction doesn’t take this lightly, and is skeptical of Wiebe the outsider trying to dethrone Mitchell, their long-haired, arrogant Sith lord of gaming.
So, they accuse Wiebe of cheating, sneak into his garage to take apart his arcade console, and won’t allow his record-breaking videotaped high score to be certified by the Twin Galaxies gaming authority, which they (and Mitchell) run. So Wiebe sets off to prove his skills in person and dares Mitchell to show up in person to challenge him.
Easily the best documentary at the year, “The King of Kong” is playing at the Oklahoma Museum of Art’s Sam Noble Theater Thursday through Sunday and is more fun than anything at the multiplex. PG-13
“?Joe Wertz
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This article appears in Sep 12-18, 2007.