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The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters

(2007, Rated PG-13, Documentary, Starring Billy Mitchell, Steve Wiebe, Walter Day)
  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 10, age appropriate for kids over 11; suggested age 11.
  • Is it any good?

    3.0
  • Common Sense says

    Amusing documentary duel at the video arcade.

Why We Rated This on for Ages 11 and Up

The good stuff

  • Messages:

    Viewers get to pick sides between the arrogant reigning Donkey Kong champion and a nice-guy family man, dogged by bad luck, who seems to need the affirmation and approval of his peers badly. There are a few female players glimpsed, but women are mostly supportive (maybe slightly exasperated) spouses.
 

What to watch out for

  • Violence:

    None, except quick flashes of violent video games over the end credits.
  • Sex:

    A sexy still photo of a nude couple (covering up each other's private parts, barely), is shown, illustrating the sordid past of a video gamer.
  • Language:

    "Bastard" and "kick that guy's ass" used, but the point is made that profanity is actually frowned upon in this milieu.
  • Consumerism:

    Not only are video games, video game parlors, and shop franchises ubiquitous, we also see plenty of the chicken hot sauce sold by one of the contenders in his day job.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Gaming is verbally compared to drug addiction, and some interviewees smoke.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters

Parents need to know that this is not a King Kong related movie in any form, but a rollicking documentary about extreme video gaming. The PG-13 rating from the MPAA is unwarranted, even though there are a few swear words and brief glimpses of sexy still pictures.

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Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about the various arcade champions, especially the flashy Billy Mitchell and his soft-spoken underdog rival Steve Wiebe. Which one do you root for? Do you think they're as legitimate as athletes in professional sports? Should video games (whether they're the vintage Space Invaders or the latest Halo) be this important in peoples' lives? How important are video games to your kids?see this together for some bonding.

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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Adult Reviewer
    Lives in New Jersey
    I rate this title on for age 11 and give it 4.0

    Life Lesson to be Learned...

    I sat down to watch King of Kong with my two children, ages 11 and 13, only having watched the trailer online. Normally I would never do that, but I figured it was a documentary, so how bad could it be? My son is a video game nut, so I knew he would be intrigued by it, and I know what Donkey Kong is, so I'd be OK, but I wasn't sure about my daughter, age 11. I did have to explain some things to her, not about the gaming, but about the way the adults were acting. My 11 year old daughter was the first one to point out that the adults were acting like they were still in middle school! I have to agree. The contestants in the tournaments were catty, back-biting, jeaslous, and egotistical. I thought the important lesson for her was, some people never outgrow this, and she needs to be prepared for it. Behavior like this occurs in all kinds of jobs, whether you're a secretary in an office, or a judge in a courthouse. The best remark she had was, "But they are grown ups, why are they acting like that? It's a video came, for crying out loud!!!" The film itself was brilliant in showing just exactly that point. The grand poo-bah of Donkey Kong was basking in the glow of something he accomplished more than twenty years ago. He still had the same hair cut! The challenger was in the here and now. He was willing to sacrifice whatever it took to beat the poo-bah, and he did it. David versus Goliath. Classic tale, same ending. Life lesson learned.

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