My rate: 9/10
“Tetris” is a refreshing biographical movie that successfully avoids the common pitfalls of its genre. While many biopics tend to be disappointing and clumsy, “Tetris” manages to captivate audiences with its incredible story behind the world’s most popular video game.
The movie sheds light on the origins of Tetris, a puzzle game conceived by the Soviet software engineer Alexey Pajitnov. It explores how an American businessman named Robert Stein, who daringly ventured into the Soviet Union in search of titles to resell for huge profits in the West, discovered the game. Meanwhile, Hank Rodgers, an eccentric programmer and salesman in the video game industry, stumbles upon Tetris after struggling to sell his own game, Go.
Rodgers, realizing the opportunity of a lifetime, becomes obsessed with Tetris and convinces Nintendo to launch the game on their new handheld device, the Game Boy. However, the real trouble starts when Rodgers discovers that Stein messed up with the international rights for Tetris. From that point, we see the incredible journey of Hank Rodgers traveling across the Soviet Union, facing challenges and cultural barriers. These obstacles get even higher when Hank so naively explains to the Soviet authorities how he’s a Dutch guy, with Indonesian mother, grown up in New York, but currently living in Japan… :D
Set in the late 1980s, when the collapse of the Soviet Union seemed unimaginable but winds of change were in the air, “Tetris” effectively captures the era’s atmosphere. The film masterfully weaves together the different elements, much like a well-played Tetris game. The dialogues are smooth and fun, the costumes and settings are loyal to the times, and each actor delivers a solid performance, with Taron Egerton leading the way.
As a seal of approval, Hank Rodgers and Alexey Pajitnov, who were involved in the film’s production, were happy with this work too. However, they were unable to prevent the inclusion of some classic Hollywood action sequences that never actually occurred. Nevertheless, these sequences, powered up with 8-bit sounds and Tetris-like visual effects, add a touch of “gamified” excitement that is too fancy to miss.
Such sequences are dressed with 80s songs remixed in a genius way. The main theme, “Opportunities” by Pet Shop Boys, is remixed with the Tetris theme to create something entirely new that will linger in your head even for weeks after watching the film!
“Tetris” strikes a delicate balance between delivering factual information about the cold war surrounding Tetris rights and providing 1.5 hours of highly entertaining storytelling. While it takes narrative liberties where necessary, it does so with finesse. The result is a well-crafted biographical movie that guarantees a great time, much like playing with a Game Boy.
In summary, “Tetris” is the freshest film of 2023, offering a delightful experience for every member of your family, from your 100-year-old grand-grandpa to your Gen Z kids. It seamlessly combines historical events with entertainment, making it a must-watch for anyone intrigued by the story behind the iconic video game.
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Talking about history, I wrote an entire book about the COVID-19 pandemic: Thank You, President Corona!
It is already available on Amazon! This is the most outrageous book of the year!
Nah, it doesn’t narrate who knows what conspiracy plots to enslave humanity. It is a journey exploring how to turn a catastrophe like a pandemic, into the opportunity of a lifetime! Maybe this is the self-help book you looking for!
Do you know “The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck? Like that, but 10x crazier! ;-)
And if you hate Amazon, you can buy TPC in many other stores:
https://www.thankyoupresidentcorona.com/stores