There's a difference in perception between people who've seen this movie, and those who haven't. Those who haven't seen it but know about it pretty much assume that it's a Darkon-like make-fun of people who take their "games" a lllliiiittttlllleee too seriously. Those who have seen it felt their air choked off as they journeyed into some of the darkest arenas of the human soul.
It's actually a pretty archetypal story of a man fighting and clawing his way to the top against corporate oppression. Steve Wiebe gets it in his mind that he wants to beat the high score of Donkey Kong, held for twenty years by the nefarious Snidely Whipla--I mean, Billy Mitchell. Wiebe's a small-town guy, he's lost his job, all he wants is to make something of himself with his brains and his talents, but first he has to confront the system. The system is headed by Walter Day, who, without knowing Wiebe personally, has to essentially distrust him until Wiebe proves himself live. Wiebe does so, but is met at every corner with the terrible and devious machinations of Mitchell, who won't confront Wiebe live but does everything in his power to pull the ropes to destroy him.
Okay, so this movie is a little over-exuberant. Though Billy Mitchell does show a lot of cockiness in his self-assuredness on-screen, and though it's obvious that Steve Wiebe really cared about what he was doing, I can't help but feel a strong editorial leaning in this movie to help make it more dramatic. Real life isn't quite this cut-and-dry, and though Mitchell is incredibly self-centered, I'd be willing to bet his side has something to say about this movie.
However, the underdog wins, trust is regained in the world, and the man who pulled himself up against constant adversity with the straps of his boots finally gets his apotheosis. So what's not to like about a movie like that? Tell you what, I'll settle for calling it "inspired by true events".
--PolarisDiB
It's actually a pretty archetypal story of a man fighting and clawing his way to the top against corporate oppression. Steve Wiebe gets it in his mind that he wants to beat the high score of Donkey Kong, held for twenty years by the nefarious Snidely Whipla--I mean, Billy Mitchell. Wiebe's a small-town guy, he's lost his job, all he wants is to make something of himself with his brains and his talents, but first he has to confront the system. The system is headed by Walter Day, who, without knowing Wiebe personally, has to essentially distrust him until Wiebe proves himself live. Wiebe does so, but is met at every corner with the terrible and devious machinations of Mitchell, who won't confront Wiebe live but does everything in his power to pull the ropes to destroy him.
Okay, so this movie is a little over-exuberant. Though Billy Mitchell does show a lot of cockiness in his self-assuredness on-screen, and though it's obvious that Steve Wiebe really cared about what he was doing, I can't help but feel a strong editorial leaning in this movie to help make it more dramatic. Real life isn't quite this cut-and-dry, and though Mitchell is incredibly self-centered, I'd be willing to bet his side has something to say about this movie.
However, the underdog wins, trust is regained in the world, and the man who pulled himself up against constant adversity with the straps of his boots finally gets his apotheosis. So what's not to like about a movie like that? Tell you what, I'll settle for calling it "inspired by true events".
--PolarisDiB