Tetris: From Russia with Love (2004) (TV)

User Rating:

7.5/10   

Director:

Magnus Temple

Release Date:

9 February 2004 (UK)

Genre:

Documentary

Plot Keywords:

Video Game | Tetris

Cast

Phil Adam	...	Himself
Evgeni Nikolaevich Belikov	...	Himself (as Nikolai Belikov)
Randy Broweleit	...	Himself
Dervla Kirwan	...	Narration
Mikhail Kulagin	...	Himself
Howard Lincoln	...	Himself
Jim Mackonochie	...	Himself
Alexey Pajitnov	...	Himself (as Alexey Pazhitnov)
Mikhail Potyomkin	...	Himself
Henk Rogers	...	Himself
Robert Stein	...	Himself
Yuri Yevtushenko	...	Himself

Runtime:

60 min (approx.)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Company:

Ricochet Digital

Movie Connections:

References From Russia with Love (1963)

Accessible and interesting documentary

Blocks of different sizes fall from the top of the screen. At the bottom of the screen they settle and, if you can make a whole line then they vanish – of course if you don't then they keep building up until you run out of room and the game ends. It is incredibly simple but fiendishly addictive and once you played it, you were pretty much owned by Tetris. This documentary takes us back to the origins of the game in Russia as systems at the Moscow Computing School were being developed and pushed as to what they could do and one programme starts experimenting with falling shapes based on a famous jigsaw puzzle.

Computer games are made every week in the world and although Tetris was a phenomenon, a documentary that looks at the business dealings and negotiations that took it from a Moscow computer into homes and hands around the world on the NES and the Gameboy didn't immediately jump out of the TV guide at me. However the story behind the business moves, political complications and such is a fascinating one that is delivered in an accessible and succinct manner in this documentary. The talking heads approach works really well because the contributions are focused and interesting – presenting the history while also managing to bring their characters out well.

The presentation is professional and respectful while the whole thing is very easy to follow and understand. Overall an enjoyable and interesting documentary that despite sounding a bit dull and corporate, will easily engage those who are familiar with the game.