This is a fictionalized story of how Tetris left the Soviet Union and became a worldwide phenomenon. How fictional I don’t know as I haven’t read much on the fact-based side of the story. I see there is a documentary out there featuring many of the people depicted in this film version, so that might be interest to watch. But this slice of entertainment is fast-moving and engaging so I would forgive it for any slight lapses in accuracy. Oddly, when I first watched it the subtitles weren’t working and with all the languages and interpreting going on, it took me a while to realize I was missing dialogue I wasn’t supposed to miss, so I started over after making sure the captions were there. So yes, you do need the captions to get the entire story.

Tetris, directed by Jon S. Baird, is an entertaining and fast-paced film that manages to balance a grounded story with a light tone. The screenplay is stellar, streamlined, and keeps the audience engaged throughout. Despite some old-school “America is good, Russia is bad” propaganda, which felt a little dated, the story remained engaging. However, the end of the film got a bit out there, and the car chase sequence felt a bit out of place. In terms of performances, Taron Edgerton stood out as the lead, carrying the film with his performance. While the rest of the cast delivered fine performances, nothing was particularly memorable. Overall, the majority of the performances didn’t really add or take away anything from the film. The direction was really well done, with the 8-bit transitions between cities and acts of the film being a standout element. However, the random eight-bit overlays on top of the picture felt a bit out of place. The 80s aesthetic was executed brilliantly, and the score and song selection were both fantastic. In conclusion, Tetris is a good movie that offers a unique take on the iconic video game. The story, while sometimes relying on dated propaganda, manages to stay grounded and entertaining. Taron Edgerton delivers a standout performance, while the direction and score provide an engaging and nostalgic experience for viewers. Score: 72% Verdict: Good

This starts off as quite a fun look at just how "Tetris" made it's way from being a cheap and cheerful game played in the Soviet Union into a handheld game selling and making millions across the globe. It seems it was all spotted by opportunist "Stein" (Toby Jones) who managed to get it to a games exhibition where it was then picked up by the tenacious "Hank" (an adequate Taron Egerton) who determines to make his fortune from this block-sliding game. What now ensues is quite a frantic and at times dangerous tale of licensing, sub-licensing, risky travel, corruption, bribery, the KGB and Robert Maxwell before we arrive at the denouement that, well, that is history! I thought the Jones quite good here, as is Roger Allan as the bullish billionaire Maxwell, but much of the rest of this was all just a bit too messy. Though maybe quite informative of the vagaries of the development process, it features far too much dialogue and the intricacies of the plot are not really developed cohesively - sometimes it feels really slow, then really rushed. It's set at a time when Gorbachev's USSR was about to go the way of the dodo, and so there is some fun manoeuvring, betrayal and money-grabbing going on, but just not enough to sustain this for all but two hours. It's OK, this, but nothing more.