Ecstasy of Order: The Tetris Masters
February. 23,2012 NRA documentary that captures the greatest world record Tetris players as they prepare for the Classic Tetris World Championship. From the days of Thor Aackerlund and his historic victory at the 1990 Nintendo World Championships, right up to the present and Harry Hong's perfect "Max-Out" score, this documentary expertly chronicles over two decades of Tetris Mastery.
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Reviews
That was an excellent one.
If you like to be scared, if you like to laugh, and if you like to learn a thing or two at the movies, this absolutely cannot be missed.
This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.
The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful
Great movie. Integrates a fair amount of Tetris gameplay footage and strategy with the stories of the individual gamers and also features interviews with Tetris developer Alexey Pajitnov, Former Twin Galaxies Senior Referee Mr. Kelly R. Flewin, multi-platform champion gamer Chris Tang, and a special appearance by The Tetris Company CEO Henk Rogers.
"Ecstasy of Order" immediately invites comparison to "The King of Kong", which might not sound fair. But they both follow the same narrative path, both highlight the next-level brain function needed for their respective hobbies, and they're just stylistically very similar. Where "Kong" excels is in its pacing and cultivation of lively characters. And as much as I enjoy Tetris (and I do, it's a desert island game), the actual tournament footage was far more interesting than the initial explanation of the game's ins-and-outs. On the other hand, it does have a good ending. And I feel the sudden need to dust off my copy and start working on that high score. That alone says a lot.
One of several niche-nuzzled documentaries to arrive within a very short period of time. Like "The King of Kong," Ecstasy of Order dedicates itself to an intensely-competitive corner of the video game world, albeit one without as polarizing a figure as Kong's infamous villain, Billy Mitchell. With no exception, each Tetris mega-mind to share this spotlight seems refreshingly earnest, friendly and down-to-Earth. These are guys and girls I wouldn't mind sharing a few beers with over a sticky NES control pad, and it's tough not to sit back, smile, and revel in the moment when they all get together for the very first time, several world records change hands and a spontaneous game of Texas Hold 'Em breaks out. In some ways, I think that's a symptom of the broadly different approaches of the two games: where Donkey Kong is about fire, death and imposition, Tetris is more in line with a timed jigsaw puzzle. It's quiet, inwardly-focused and nuanced, and thus so are its greatest players. Depending on the viewer's mentality, their ultimate enjoyment of the two films may vary appropriately. Sprinkled with a set of widely-varied contenders, more than its share of mysterious intrigue and the pointed quest to crown the world's best player in a first-ever champion's tournament, this is a startlingly arresting subject and a dense display of cerebral gamesmanship. Well worth watching.
Normally, documentaries are informative, could be fun and interesting. It is rare that a documentary can make us interested in characters. This documentary has something special in. At a lower scale, it seems to have elements of stories, like character development, suspense, maybe even some kind of plot.The documentary builds up to the final championship. What interested me most about this film: - First of all knowing all the tricks that players use to get insanely good at the game - Learning about the various records that people achieved - How they built up the character of Thor as some legend at the game - Watching and actually caring whether someone reaches a high scoreOverall, the film is quite enjoyable. I'm not sure if it would be enjoyable if you don't know anything about the game. (but that would be quite unusual).