The X Files: I Want To Believe Movie Review

By / July 29, 2008 /

The X Files has had a loyal following. The show had a unique point of view and created a devoted fan base with nine seasons on the air. The early episodes were arguably the best, but even towards the end of its run, faithful viewers kept watching. The cinematic translation of Fox Mulder and Dana Scully chasing down the unknown hasn’t been quite as successful. The latest incarnation, The X Files: I Want To Believe is no exception. The whole movie plays out on screen as one of its weaker television episodes. From the beginning, the film gets bogged down by its own self-righteous weight. There are a few humorous moments, but even those instances seem to take themselves too seriously.

Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny are together again. The chemistry they share on screen is somewhat refreshing, but something is missing. It’s a little like eating your favorite comfort food without one of the ingredients. You can’t quite put your finger on it, but it just isn’t the same. This time around, Fox and Scully are reluctant to come out of retirement for the FBI. You get the feeling while watching this film that they feel the same way in real life. They both seemed a little bored.

The supporting actors seem miscast. Watching Amanda Peet as an FBI agent was simply hard to swallow. Her confidence in her role does not necessarily make a believable character. Here, she just falls short. Scottish born Billy Connolly plays Father Joe. He tries to make it interesting, but the mundane plot and slow pacing brings him down.

Original creator Chris Carter is at the helm this time. You get the sense he has more confidence, but he doesn’t know what to do with it. This sequel was partly inspired by a 1940s Russian documentary entitled “Experiments In the Revival of Organisms.” We had the chance to check out J.J. Abrams’ new pilot television episode coming this fall called Fringe. There are some eerie similarities between Fringe and this new X Files movie. It gives one pause that these two Alfred Hitchcock wannabes are using the same source material.

If you’re an X Files true believer, you might get a few thrills with this film. Our advice is to skip it, make your own popcorn and rent some DVD’s of the first few seasons.