TETRIS

TETRIS is a dramatic comedy on Apple TV+ that recounts the true, epic and hilarious battle of a British video game salesman who raced against time and multiple opponents to gain the worldwide rights to the Russian video game Tetris in the early 1980s. TETRIS takes an obscure topic and turns it into a wildly entertaining movie with s strong moral, pro-capitalist and anti-communist worldview, but it’s marred by lots of strong foul language so extreme caution is advised.

The movie stars Taron Egerton of THE KINGSMAN movies as Henk Rogers, an expatriate Brit living in Japan with his wife and children. Henk stumbles across the Tetris game while it’s a new underground sensation at a worldwide video game sales convention. Henk becomes obsessed with gaining the rights.

The problem is that the game was invented in the Communist Soviet Union, where the state refuses to allow its citizens to get rich and consequently rules over the creation of Alexei Pajitnov (Nikita Efremov). When a bureaucratic error, however, enables Alexey to sell the rights to the game for just $10,000, Henk realizes the sale didn’t include the rights to the game in Japan.

Japan is a vital market because, at the time, it was responsible for the worldwide distribution of the most popular games on the planet. So, Henk begins an at-all-costs quest to land the Japan rights. He finds himself battling against the notorious media mogul Robert Maxwell and an unscrupulous sales agent named Robert Stein (Toby Jones), as well as the merciless Soviet government villain Valentin Trifonov (Igor Grauzov).

TETRIS has a plot that is complex at first but which rewards the concentration required to follow its setup. Once all the contestants are expertly introduced and the race begins, TETRIS becomes a frenetic, riveting depiction of capitalism versus Soviet communism while being hilarious to watch.

It would be hard to give away the plot more than that because viewers will sit on the edge of their seats for every backstabbing twist inflicted upon the heroic Henk. While Robert Maxwell and Robert Stein represent the dirty side of cutthroat business, Henk uses daring, honesty and honor at every turn.

The movie unflinchingly portrays the evils of Soviet communism on every level. It shows many examples of the soul-crushing tactics of the Soviet Communist Party to ruin people’s lives and crush ambition. This encourages viewers to root for Henk’s determination to help Alexey reap the rewards of his extremely popular creation. The terrific script by Noah Pink and masterful direction by Jon S. Baird also shine a very positive light on marriage and family. Thus, Henk’s struggles are rooted in a deep desire to help his wife and children have a better life.

TETRIS is a movie that’s winning on every level and filled with surprises. Part of the fun lies in the fact that the movie’s Russians are portrayed by actors who are unknown to Western audiences, making their dynamic performances all the more fresh to viewers. Even Egerton’s limited level of stardom leaves him able to immerse himself fully in Henk, which is a major plus compared to a star along the blockbuster lines of Brad Pitt, whose superstar status pretty much causes him to play the same kind of roles in every movie.

The only major downside of TETRIS lies in its frequent foul language, hurting the chances of teenagers who need to see the evils of Communism drawn clearly. Older teenagers with discerning parents could likely get a lot out of this story, which has a great love for the human spirit, creativity and the tremendously positive values that capitalism brings, especially when compared to communism.