more than 35 years ago, Tetris It conquered the masses and became one of the most successful and important video games of all time thanks to its simple yet addictive concept. However, there is only one thing more interesting than its mesmerizing gameplay: the story behind its creation and distribution.
Certainly, the series of events that marked the legacy of the Soviet puzzle is worthy of a high-profile feature film, and it’s just what we have here. From the hand of director Jon S. Baird (filter, stone house) arrives Tetrisa drama based on real events that bets on the show and presents a dose of fiction that adds salt and pepper to a story that, by itself, is worth knowing.
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The film focuses on businessman Henk Rogers (Taron Egerton) and his journey to get the distribution rights to the game. Without neglecting Alexey Pajitnov (Nikita Yefremov) and the inspirations that led him to create the puzzle, the plot revolves almost entirely around the legal conflict and the political tensions that existed in the 1980s as a result of the Civil War. cold.
Focus the argument on the legal battle that preceded the success of Tetris in foreign lands is a success, since much of the charm of the true story is precisely that battle of negotiations that existed between the people and companies involved in the case.
The film goes straight to the point and uses its first minutes to introduce the protagonists and the historical context. We will immediately know who Henk Rogers, Robert Stein, Alexey Pajitnov, Robert Maxwell, Kevin Maxwell and other people who in one way or another played an important role in the case. This snappy pacing remains through to the end, resulting in a narrative that’s easy to digest but sloppy when it comes to character development.
Tetris at no time does he stop to delve into the background of the characters, which causes them to sometimes fall into stereotypes. In real life, personalities like Robert Maxwell (Roger Allam) were very complex and controversial; here, they are one-note characters. Even so, they become endearing thanks to the characterization and the work of the actors.
The director Jon S. Baird and the screenwriter Noah Pink knew how to bring the true story to a feature film of almost 2 hours. Most of the events that defined the game and its legacy are represented and there is historical accuracy when it comes to the legal conflict.
Yes indeed, Tetris Take advantage of the context to make a spy and betrayal drama set in the former Soviet Union where danger waits around every corner and nothing is as it seems. In short, there are certain elements of fiction that allow the climax to gain strength and be more exciting, but also take away from the verisimilitude of the story. Everything related to the KGB and the threats gives a sense of urgency and danger to Henk Rogers’ mission, but takes the plot away from reality to bet on the show.
It is clear that this creative decision will disappoint purists who expect to see the journey of the Dutch businessman as it happened in real life and without any fanfare. Even so, the most exaggerated and implausible elements do not affect the development of the plot, so, again, the events that really happened in real life and that marked the legal fight for the rights of the Russian puzzle are here.
From the first moment, Tetris is aware that it is a movie about video games. Not only do personalities who were involved in the real case appear, such as Hiroshi Yamauchi (Togo Igawa) from Nintendo or Howard Lincoln (Ben Miles) from Nintendo of America, there are also references to franchises such as Super Mario Bros. and Legend of Zelda.
Just as interesting is that the film relies on pixelart art to create an aesthetic and an interesting and original audiovisual section; the acts are divided into levels and some scenes are represented as if they were sequences from a retro video game. This in conjunction with a soundtrack full of melodies made with a synthesizer and eighties hits like The Final Countdown de Europe make the overall experience very nostalgic, even for people who were born after the 1980s.
In conclusion, Tetris It’s an entertaining movie that holds its own thanks to its fast pace, easy-to-approach narrative, and appealing aesthetic filled with references to NES games. Taron Egerton (Kingsman, Rocket man) does a good job with the character he plays and his acting sustains the whole plot. Although the fictional elements may turn away people looking for a feature film based on true events with complete historical accuracy, it is a good first approach to learning the history of one of the most important video games in the gaming industry. .
In general, the tape knew how to place its pieces correctly, although there are some holes that prevent it from adding more points.
Tetris It will arrive on March 31 on Apple TV +. Click here to read more news related to the franchise.
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