The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters (2007)

Captivating, heart-wrenching stories aren't often found among video gamers, and even less so in documentaries about video gamers. But apparently Seth Gordon missed that memo. In his documentary The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters, he pulls one off - presenting the saga of one Steve Wiebe and Billy Mitchell.

Mitchell's the old master, holding high-score records in five classic arcade games and even gracing his own trading card. (You think I'm joking, but watch the movie; by the end, such a statement doesn't seem remotely far-fetched.) For years, his score of 874,300 points in Donkey Kong was a world record.

Until, that is, Wiebe came along, submitting a videotaped score of more than one million points to video game records keeper Twin Galaxies. But because of the many rules and technicalities in competitive gaming, his score is scrutinized and eventually dismissed altogether. Determined to prove his legitimacy, Wiebe crosses the country to popular east-coast arcades to establish himself.

What follows is an escalation of Mitchell and Wiebe's competition into what video game referee Walter Day calls "one of the great rivalries of all time." (You really can't make this stuff up.)

There's Mitchell - the New York Yankees of the two - and his ascent from teenage gaming prodigy to one of the world's most popular gamers. He's one of those perpetually lucky people who seems to win at everything, from gaming to the running of the popular Rickey's World Famous Restaurant chain. Then there's Wiebe, who's more like the Red Sox were for all those years before breaking their "curse." A middle school science teacher, Wiebe's life is chock full of ups and downs (mostly downs, from his high school baseball career being cut short to his firing from Boeing).

But we also see Gordon pull off a rare trick. He gives us something that transcends being a mere "documentary" and merits judgement as a true "movie." The film runs the emotional gamut, giving us comedy with heartbreak and happiness alongside anger. In short, it informs us, but it also entertains us in a way that eludes far too many modern movies - by completely enveloping its viewers.

We see Wiebe emerge as the dominant persona, and watch our emotional highs and lows mirror his own. As he sheds a tear over the unfortunate ending of his quest, we nearly do the same. We also see Mitchell become less and less likable as the story unfolds, at first inspiring feelings of uneasiness which gradually progresses into anger and resentment.

Launch into arguments about what this movie's appeal says about our society if you wish. I did. But then, allow yourself to sit down and watch it with an open mind. With any luck, by the time the credits roll, it will have opened your eyes as well.

3 stars out of 4