Donkey Around

2/5 Stars

This movie is at once geeky and cool, boring and entertaining, compelling and forgettable. The story to be told (or perhaps the expose to be filmed) is unique and has has all the elements of a good documentary but the challenge of the film is to make interesting viewing out of sitting at a game cabinet and moving a joystick. In the end I think the director did a good job. I reached the end of show feeling embarrassed to enjoy video games so much however. I wanted to walk away feeling like someone had highlighted the fun and engaging aspects of gaming, but after watching so many people so wrapped up in being as geek-king as possible, I was ready to crawl under a rock.

In the end, the core of the story - the struggle against "the man", fighting your demons, the compulsion to be the best - won me over and I enjoyed the film, but man, I don't know if I want to be seen in an arcade again. Do you need to be a video game fan to watch this documentary? No. In fact, I might recommend it more highly to those without a vested interest in the industry. If you are a geek who enjoys being a geek and is proud of it, you're gonna love this.