Tetris: The Movie Starring Taron Egerton Reveals How The Game’s Creation Almost Caused World War III!

What are you doing?

The incredible history of the most popular video game and how it met the enthusiasm of players around the world. Hank Rogers discovered Tetris in 1988 and risked it all when he traveled to the USSR where he teamed up with Alexei Pajitnov to bring the game to the world. Inspired by a true story, Tetris is an explosive thriller set against the backdrop of the Cold War, with traitors, unlikely heroes and a hellish race against time.

who is he with

One wonders if the biopic isn’t Taron Egerton’s favorite genre. After Elton John in Rocketman, or after skier Eddie Smith in Eddie the Eagle, the British actor returns to us this time in the skin of the Dutch entrepreneur Hank Rogers, who made the Tetris video game world famous.

Game designer is engineer Alexey Pajitnov; Russian actor Nikita Efremov, who is little known to the general public outside his native country, was chosen to play his part. His compatriot Igor Grabuzov plays the brilliant KGB agent Valentin Trifonov.

British Matthew Marsh plays the role of former USSR leader Mikhail Gorbachev; The film also stars Toby Jones, Roger Allam and Anthony Boyle.

Is it worth checking out?

Successful video game adaptations are rare, but what about a movie that chronicles the genesis of one of the most iconic games ever? Uncovering a story unknown to the general public, Tetris tells the story of how the incredible popularity of the game in the early 1980s led to the outbreak of World War III.

Thus, Scottish director John S. This feature film by Baird (Stan and Ollie) is presented as a biopic, where comedy elements are intertwined, but also codes borrowed from a political thriller.

A movie that wants to be original (but really isn’t)

The construction of the film is interspersed with chapters, animated sequences in pixels, which is not the prettiest effect. Obviously, there was – in substance and form – a desire not to conform to the academic codes of biography, but it would still take some really good ideas to achieve that.

The main problem with Tetris is its story. If overall, the story surrounding the design and then distribution of this iconic game fully deserves to be adapted into a feature film, its treatment does not bring satisfaction due to the endless (and very repetitive) scenes of negotiations. Relies on vague points of legal detail.

You’d think a good knowledge of the video game Tetris would be enough to enjoy this movie, but you’ll probably need some knowledge of the law, although the plot of the movie is coherent enough to know who the good guys are and the bad guys from the story.

The outcome of the story, as it is known a priori, we cannot really say that the film hides surprises and would not refuse some better developed scenarios.

A biopic about a little-known story

If he provides minimal service than he has offered in the past, Taron Edgerton is still quite credible as Hank Rogers and his ability to alternate between comic and dramatic registers works well for the film.

His duet with Nikita Ifremov works, but the actor who works best is undoubtedly Igor Grabuzov, an impressive KGB agent who works for the interests of the motherland as well as his own. At least we can say that Tetris has found an interesting villain to provide minimal suspense throughout its story.

So no, you can’t really call Tetris a failure or a bad movie, but it all feels like a simple high-end TV movie, and there’s no doubt that a greater narrative and visual ambition would have helped it break through. From the usual lines of biography.

And yet, the story, which many will discover only because of this feature film, is a solid reason to watch Tetris, available exclusively from this Friday, March 31 on AppleTV +.