The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters (2007)
96%RT Audience Score: 93%
Awards & Nominations: 9 wins & 10 nominations
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.
If you’re looking for a movie that’s both hilarious and thought-provoking, then The King of Kong is your jam. Seth Gordon, the director, does a bang-up job of showcasing the two main players and their crazy obsession with King Kong. And let me tell you, these guys are complex characters with some serious quirks. But don’t worry, Gordon’s got it all under control with his perfectly cooked observations. It’s like he’s serving up a plate of al dente pasta, but instead of carbs, you’re getting a glimpse into the human psyche. So, if you’re ready for a wild ride, grab some popcorn and settle in for The King of Kong.
Production Company(ies)
Large Lab
Distributor
Picturehouse
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
Filming Location(s)
New Hampshire, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG-13 for a brief sexual reference
Year of Release
2008
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:1h 19m
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Aug 17, 2007 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 29, 2008
Genre(s)
Documentary/Biography
Keyword(s)
King of Kong, documentary, biography, Seth Gordon, Ed Cunningham, written by Seth Gordon, PG-13, box office gross, video game, Donkey Kong, Billy Mitchell, Steve Wiebe, Walter Day, Todd Rogers, Robert Mruczek, Mark Alpiger, reviewed by Cliff Doerksen, Stephen Garrett, David Jenkins, James Dyer, Nick Schager, Ann Hornaday, Richard Propes, Micheal Compton, Mattie Lucas, Daniel Krauze, J Olson, Matthew Pejkovic, audience score, documentary Rocky, arcade gaming, Twin Galaxies officials, competitiveness, fame, human behavior, poignant insights, obsessive complexity, al dente observations, Christopher Guest, fake-documentary, real live true story, absurd, joyous, mesmerizing, hilarious case study, sad, uplifting, dedication, skill, accomplished arcade player, pursuit of passion, overcoming adversity
Worldwide gross: $790,128
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $1,088,371
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,580
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 118,688
US/Canada gross: $677,914
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $933,801
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,204
US/Canada opening weekend: $51,493
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $70,930
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,074
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Mark Alpiger
Walter Day
Steve Sanders
Robert Mruczek
Todd Rogers
Director(s)
Seth Gordon
Writer(s)
Seth Gordon
Producer(s)
Ed Cunningham
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
9 wins & 10 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (102) | Top Critics (38) | Fresh (99) | Rotten (3)
November 18, 2011 | Rating: 5/5
Cliff Doerksen
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
November 17, 2011 | Rating: 2/5
Stephen Garrett
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
You 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.
June 5, 2008 | Rating: 4/6
David Jenkins
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
An engrossing story that plucks at the heartstrings just as hard as it pummels the fire buttons.
June 5, 2008 | Rating: 4/5
James Dyer
Empire Magazine
TOP CRITIC
Benefits immeasurably from a cast of colorful supporting players, as well as a taut narrative that builds to a surprisingly tense climax.
December 7, 2007 | Rating: B+
Nick Schager
Lessons of Darkness
TOP CRITIC
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.
December 7, 2007
Ann Hornaday
Washington Post
TOP CRITIC
It’s a credit to Gordon as director that he allows the full spectrum of emotions to come alive onscreen here.
September 13, 2020 | Rating: 3.0/4.0
Richard Propes
TheIndependentCritic.com
Feels more like a Christopher Guest fake-documentary than a real live true story… What makes the film so intriguing is the whole “no way this could be real” factor.
October 29, 2019 | Rating: A-
Micheal Compton
Bowling Green Daily News
A hilarious case study in humanity that is both sad and uplifting.
July 6, 2019 | Rating: 3.5/4
Mattie Lucas
From the Front Row
Seth Gordon, the director, makes the material accessible and entertaining… [Full review in Spanish]
January 12, 2018
Daniel Krauze
El Financiero
The most absurd, joyous, and mesmerizing documentary of the 21st century.
April 14, 2016 | Rating: 4.5/5
J. Olson
Cinemixtape
Who would have thought that one of the years most intriguing and suspenseful films would be a documentary involving two grown men battling over the supremacy of an arcade game?
July 22, 2015 | Rating: 4/5
Matthew Pejkovic
Matt’s Movie Reviews…
Plot
In the early 1980s, legendary Billy Mitchell set a Donkey Kong record that stood for almost 25 years. This documentary follows the assault on the record by Steve Wiebe, an earnest teacher from Washington who took up the game while unemployed. The top scores are monitored by a cadre of players and fans associated with Walter Day, an Iowan who runs Funspot, an annual tournament. Wiebe breaks Mitchell’s record in public at Funspot, and Mitchell promptly mails a controversial video tape of himself setting a new record. So Wiebe travels to Florida hoping Mitchell will face him for the 2007 Guinness World Records. Will the mind-game-playing Mitchell engage; who will end up holding the record?
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The King of Kong features a cast of colorful supporting players.
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