The X Files: I Want to Believe (2008) User Reviews (530)

Meh

[symbioticpsychotic · 5/10 · 2 August 2008]

As a true fan of the series, I was somewhat disappointed with this entry into the franchise. It doesn't bother me that it had nothing really to do with the mythology, no conspiracy, no alien replacements, no Doggett, no Reyes.

What did bother me, however, is that it didn't have much else either.

I honestly went in with a completely open mind, and came out unmoved, from an 'event' that should have moved me.

The script was very flat and lifeless. The acting was stale and uninspired (due to the script no doubt). The plot, long and not punchy enough to deserve who slow it played out. And the climax (and I use the term loosely) was really flat. There were no 'spikes' in this film, when 'spikes' are the reason we watch. If anything, I would have to rate this among the more average episodes of the show. Indeed, it actually felt like an episode that had been blown out to a 2 hour run time. In and of itself, that's not a bad thing, just make the content something worth watching.

The Good: Seeing Mulder and Scully again. Bless their hearts. Seeing the location type across the bottom left hand side of the screen. Ahh nostalgia. Hearing the signature theme for a brief moment. And, the opening scene was quite good, interesting and gripping.

The Bad: It stops right there after that first scene. The reasons for Mulder's return to the FBI are unsound. Mulder and Scully are both wanted by the FBI. Mulder on the run from his sentence to death. I don't believe for a moment that the FBI would drop charges to save one Agent, considering no one in the high positions believed in his work anyway. There were too many nods and winks for the fans. If Carter had maybe have spent less time naming things after previous writers and directors and more time focusing on writing a tight script, things may have been different. The script had too much emphasis on Scully's patient, and not enough emphasis on what was actually happening in the main story. Scully was really whiny. And it annoyed me that she brought up Samantha. Mulder was a little bit weak, and somewhat boring, he did not have the spirit and gusto that he had in the show. It was not scary. It was barely dramatic. It was not engaging, and unfortunately I really never asked the question "what's going to happen next", or how are they going to solve this?" But rather, when will this speed up. It is only my die hard fan-ship of the show that made me not ask myself "When can I go home?" Although, I did have free tickets, so it would have been silly to leave. And the inclusion of Skinner was an obvious fan treat, and completely irrelevant to the plot.

I hate the fact that I didn't like it. It should have been an event. And it wasn't. I'm not disappointed, because I got to see my beloved Mulder and Scully again. But I wasn't impressed.

An unfortunately low 5/10 :(

No Country for Old X-Files

[WriterDave · 5/10 · 27 July 2008]

The world is a greatly changed place since the heyday of "The X-files." Back in the late 1990's the TV show was at its height and tapping into the shared fears of the day: fear of the unknown, fear of the impending millennium, and fear that something larger than us (the government or alien invaders) was up to no good. Flash forward to the year 2008 and we know all that hubbub about the millennium was for nothing, our government has been up to no good for years, and it's not space invaders we need to worry about but other people terrorizing us. The murky, gloomy, grim style of "The X-Files" is now the norm with feverish and dark films like "There Will Be Blood" and "The Dark Knight" tapping into the mindset of culture today from opposite ends of the film spectrum.

Apparently creator Chris Carter didn't realize his baby was irrelevant now. His only mission should've been to please the faithful. If he wanted to revive his series on film, he had best stick to the labyrinthine alien mythology that still has some die-hard fans buzzing, or at the very least deliver a fun stand-alone monster-of-the-week style flick that would make fans jump in their seats. With "The X-Files: I Want to Believe" he does neither of those things. Instead, he gives us a story where Mulder and Scully come out of hiding to work on a case where the FBI are using a psychic criminal priest to help locate a missing agent and track down a potential serial killer. The plot fits more into the mold of his far less popular companion series "Millennium" than it does to "The X-Files." Apparently Carter wanted to please no one except perhaps himself.

The weirdest thing about the film is that it isn't all that bad. Carter as a director lays on some decent atmosphere (with all the global-warming defying snow and some eerie nighttime shots) and creates some palpable tension as the horrors of the case grow grimmer. The chemistry between Mulder (a lazy but effective David Duchovny) and Scully (an amazingly fully ranged and emotional Gillian Anderson) is still there, and Anderson's performance is especially gripping. Billy Connolly, cast against type, gives an interesting turn as the corrupted priest searching for redemption through his visions that probably would've garnered an Emmy nod had this been a very special two-part TV episode. Also good is Amanda Peet, looking smashing in her smart FBI pantsuits.

Most interesting is the story arc given Dana Scully. I honestly had stopped watching the show after the sixth season, and aside from the mythology storyline that built up to the first film released ten years ago, I recall some of my favorite episodes being the ones where Scully questioned her faith and struggled with reconciling her Catholicism with her scientific approach to the paranormal investigations. This is again explored here, as Scully, always the skeptic, so desperately wants to believe in something. However, it's an odd choice for Carter to focus on this internal human drama when he should be focusing on how to bring fans back into the fold. It would've been an interesting and compelling layer had Carter not been so inept with the rest of the plot.

In the end some fine performances and a moody atmosphere do not add up to a good time. Eventually it becomes an uncomfortable and anachronistic creep-fest that plays like the type of suspense thriller that ruled the roost in the mid-1990's after films like "Silence of the Lambs" and "Seven" made police detection and serial killing popular entertainment. Well, it's 2008, Mr. Carter, and it's time to wake up from your prolonged nightmare that was rendered uninteresting in 2001.

A Nutshell Review: The X=Files: I Want to Believe

[DICK STEEL · 7/10 · 24 July 2008]

It's not hard to imagine how time flies, when you realize that one of your best loved television series of all time had already ended its run, and you reminisce the times back when one of your weekend nights revolved around sitting in a bunk with your army mates, all glued to what Chris Carter had conjured as adventures for the two best known goggle box FBI agents, Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson). While we always needed to crank up the volume to try and make sense of the murmurs involving shadow governments and secret conspiracies, our favourite episodes almost unanimously were those one-off ones, so called the "monster" episodes.

And it's been 6 years since The End, and 10 years since the first X-Files movie hit the screen. While that movie was intricately linked to the major conspiracy thread, this movie, as the trailer led us to believe, was a one-off monster episode, or so I thought. While it's indeed a one-off episode, it's no monster of an episode in the mould of those in the television series, though it really felt like an extended, stand alone episode which gave us a slightly more in depth look at the dynamics of our beloved duo, especially what happened to them in the last few years they went off the FBI radar. But as the saying goes, you can't put a good man, and a lady, down for too long.

This is a story about obsession. As we all know, Mulder's obsessed with everything X- classifiable, and in the years of absence, here comes an opportunity for a breath of fresh air when Agent Dakota Whitney (Amanda Peet) comes knocking to seek his expertise, as the FBI now has a case on their hands and a psychic, convicted pedophile of a Catholic Father Joseph Crissman (Billy Connolly) who volunteers key information to help in that case. The FBI isn't sure if Father Crissman is a liar, or worse, connected to the crime, and hence Mulder's help is to be their lie-detector. Naturally with religion and her usual cynicism in the mix, Scully is disgusted by the sheer presence of the religious felon, and thus set the stage for some conflict with her beau.

Like an old, quarreling couple who can't seem to give way to each other, their philosophies clash as their interests - Scully battling the hospital system to save her young chronically ill patient - differ, and threaten to pull the couple apart. He thinks that she's not being supportive of his venturing into an X-case even though they're now civilians, while she thinks he's latching onto Father Crissman to use his prowess, if proved true, to find Samantha Fox. Which I thought would probably make an excellent sub plot, but alas the potential was dangled like a carrot in front of us, and then went totally off tangent.

Don't expect any big sets or intricate subplots here, as it really looked like it's done on a shoestring budget, with the look and feel of a typical classic television episode, a two-parter in fact. There are strange aberrations of course, but all these go unexplained, and you know they're just going to be glossed over since everything will be wrapped up by the time the end credits roll. However, there are adequate moments to keep you at the edge of your seat, and some developments do enough to leave your mouth gaping wide open, especially those involving extreme medicine.

David Duchovny does look more comfortable reprising his role as Mulder, but Gillian Anderson, as interviews have revealed, required a lot more time trying to get back into character, and this uneasiness unfortunately shows on screen. The chemistry's still not lacking, but given that their respective characters have aged and grown more comfortable with one another, gone are the tensions between them, though the problems that surface here did try to rekindle some of the opposition they felt during the course of their long running series.

Chris Carter and X-Files regular scribe Frank Spotnitz did incorporate a nice surprise in the movie, so do keep your eyes peeled as you will silently cheer when it happens. But I thought what was a ghastly way to bid farewell, was the little coda toward the end of the credit roll, which somewhat signals the finale of everything, though in a very out of place manner. Anyhow, this X-Files movie episode isn't going to win any new fans over, but for X-philes, I'd bet we're probably just satisfied already with our heroes appearing in celluloid one more time, that no matter how wafer thin the plot is, it's not going to dampen our collective fan spirit.

And to thank our lucky stars that Mark Snow's iconic theme song, didn't get played in the movie under the horrific techno rendition.

"Sorry About Your Car!"...

[azathothpwiggins · 9 July 2018]

Just as FIGHT THE FUTURE was the perfect bridge between seasons 5 and 6 of the TV series, I WANT TO BELIEVE sits at the center of the fourteen year gap between seasons 9 and 10. Having moved on -apart- for several years, Mulder and Scully (David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson) must reunite in order to solve a particularly grisly new case.

Director and X-FILES guru extraordinaire, Chris Carter pays homage to everything from SILENCE OF THE LAMBS / SEVEN to HOSTEL and even FRANKENSTEIN! Toss in Billy Connolly as a psychic, pedophile priest, and we're off to the paranormal races! Amanda Peet is quite good in her role as lead FBI agent, Dakota Whitney. Don't blink, or you might miss Skinner (Mitch Pileggi) in his extended cameo appearance!

Highly recommended for both fans and casual viewers of the show...

Uneven sequel to TV spin-off

[Leofwine_draca · 6/10 · 13 March 2012]

This is the second X-FILES movie, made a decade after the first and a good six years after the series finally ended on television. In many respects, it feels like nothing more than extended episode; gone is the government conspiracy stuff, to be replaced with a stand-alone storyline involving psychics and FRANKENSTEIN-style experiments that recalls the good old days of the early seasons. Many fans were disappointed that the underlying alien stuff was dismissed for this film, but I didn't mind it at all. If they made films like this every couple of years, I'd be happy.

As a piece of entertainment, it isn't entirely satisfying, although I found it watchable enough. The plot is meandering in places – especially during the mid section – and the low budget readily apparent in some cheesy effects scenes (such as where we see someone falling). However, the relationship between Mulder and Scully is spot on, and the script allows for plenty of soul-searching between the two leads. Duchovny effortlessly slides back into his character, although Anderson fails to convince in some of her dialogue sequences (although her emotional stuff with a child patient is spot on).

Kudos, too, for eliciting a good performance from Billy Connolly, who bags a fantastic role as a priest-turned-paedophile-turned-psychic. I never thought I'd see somebody like Connolly give a quiet, mannered, understated turn, but he does that here. Amanda Peet is fine as another investigator, and even Xzibit convinces as a 'real' actor. It's great to see Mitch Pileggi make a cameo, too.

It's not an amazing film, and much of it is familiar stuff done numerous times in more successful episodes, but I enjoyed THE X-FILES: I WANT TO BELIEVE on nostalgic terms alone. It recalls the glory days of when the show was unmissable entertainment, the best thing on the box, and that's some achievement

Good movie.

[scott-sw · 7/10 · 25 July 2008]

There is a difference in reviewing bad film-making as opposed to personal taste. Frankly, I argue this movie more from personal taste, although X-Files - I Want to Believe is certainly not bad film-making. In all honesty, I was very nervous about X-Files I Want to Believe. Ever since Star Wars the Phantom Menace, I have learned to lower my expectations when venturing into Hollywood movies (although lowering your expectations to nothing could not save the Star Wars Prequels). Nothing is worse than a huge let-down. Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull comes to mind the quickest. With X-Files, I Want to Believe, I went in with no expectations whatsoever and was thoroughly entertained. It made me pine for the old television series I loved to watch in the 1990's (at least until Seasons 8 and 9). Dr. Dana Scully is working at a Catholic Hospital, fighting for a young boy who has little to no chance of surviving. She pushes herself hard, not giving up hope in the wake of despair. She fights for Alexander (the son she lost in the television series). The FBI comes to her, asking for help in tracking down Fox Mulder. They want his help in a baffling case. An FBI agent has disappeared. The only link is an unusual psychic. Not only does he have scant visions, he also is pedophile priest under house arrest. Of course, Mulder wants to believe this man. Scully, however, does not. This not only stems from her usual scientific mind, but also her moral outrage at his crimes. As this psychic leads them to various clues, a case slowly uncovers. Some strange, bizarre, twisted scheme of harvesting organs for nefarious purposes arises. Mulder of course ventures closer, putting himself in peril. Scully, balks, wondering if she can continue in Mulder's dark world. Believe it or not, this one works. In fact, I liked it better than Fight the Future. While Fight the Future was inserted in the ongoing mythology of government conspiracies and alien extra-terrestrials, this one works more as a stand-alone movie, much like the episodes of the same flavor. I admit I liked the latter episodes better. So for the X-Philes who liked the conspiracy episodes better, you may want to stick to Fight the Future. That gets me to wonder if this movie will find new fans for the 15-year-old franchise, or only appeal to X-Philes. Only time can tell on that one. What makes this work for me, though, is that it is in the spirit of the original television series. It does not rely on paranoid delusions, government conspiracies, and alien extra-terrestrials. Instead, it relies more on a potentially dangerous and real situation with surrealism in the background. Just like some of the stand-alone episodes of X-Files, the outcome is not predictable. Also, by the end, the surrealism takes a back-seat to the suspense of catching the antagonists. It also unfolds slowly, not giving us a full glimpse into the nefarious plot finally revealed in the end. Just like the series, the antagonists goal is evil and eerie--pushing the envelope of imagination and fear. Just like the series, the plot is also based on real fringe scientific experiments. Both the movie, and the reality sent a shiver up my spine (by the way, leave the kids at home on this one. Kids younger than 11 or 10 might get some nightmares.) This paves the way for one thing X-Files television series did well: lacing messages of philosophy, religious allegory, and faith. Some of the best stuff comes when Fox and Dana converse with each other. Scully fears being with Mulder because his world brings around so much darkness, and she fears that. She also doubts her own faith. Mulder must ask himself questions in regards to his relentless search of the "truth." Another warning must go out that this movie is not an action movie. It works more like a thriller and a suspense movie instead of lacing itself with shootouts,car chases, and outlandish stunts. It also is not scary, but rather suspenseful. I think if Cris Carter were a better director, it might have found a little more suspense, and possibly a little more fright. That being said, I still think this movie works--at least for me.

Chris, Chris, Chris....

[mercuryix-1 · 4/10 · 29 July 2008]

I just saw X-Files: I Want to Believe. There are too many other people beginning their reviews with "I Wanted to Believe It Would Have Been a Decent Film", for me to do the same.

However, that is how I, like many others, felt tonight. There was laughter during the serious scenes, and no laughter during the briefly "comic" moments. Not a good sign when the audience is tittering during moments of anger or tears between the main actors.

After it was over, I wanted to buy Chris Carter a beer, sit down with him, slap him in the head and say "Chris..... what happened?" Chris wrote some great episodes, but as the series ended it got weaker and weaker. This movie plays like a subpar episode from one of their weaker seasons. It's as if Carter had proved the old cliché that a writer only has so many stories in them, and when they're gone, they're gone. I don't want to believe that, but it's hard to dispute it in this case.

Duchovny and Anderson are first-rate, as always; they are the only reason people would watch this movie; no-one else could say these lines and hold interest.

Watch this movie only if you want to see them as their characters, and discard any need for coherency or plot, let alone logic; because you won't find it.

POSSIBLE SPOILERS (NOT THAT IT MATTERS):

The main villain in this movie is a 50 year-old Russian delivery man, who outruns the younger Mulder, outwits him, is played as if he's the unstoppable Alien throughout the series, when he is really only a.... 50 year-old Russian guy with no special powers. Then, at the very end, after getting away after every gruesome crime, he gets whacked in the noggin with a wrench from a woman and goes down. End of villain. The movie ends shortly thereafter.

The "hero" of the movie is a retired pedophile priest. Making this schmoe a "pedophile" just to make him unpalatable, was unnecessary, and insensitive to those who have actually been molested as children. It was a very cheap and easy way to make the guy disturbing to audiences, and Carter is smarter than to use such a cheap device.

SPOILER ALERT: (again, not that it matters): The entire plot, as ludicrous as it sounds, boils down to this:

A 50 year-old gay Russian dude who is part of an illegal organ-snatching ring wants to save his gay partner by stealing body parts; when that fails, he plans to have his head grafted onto a woman's body. That's it. I kid you not. When you see the movie, you will see this is exactly the plot. You will also want to join me in slapping Chris Carter in the head. After all this time, this is the best he can come up with? It is a cross between a Russian Dr. Frankenstein movie and Hairspray.

MOST LUDICROUS MOMENT AWARD: Again, the shame here is on Carter, not Duchovny. He actually has Mulder go into a room full of the people he knows have been abducting and cutting up women for body parts, armed with.... a wrench. That's right, a wrench. He staggers around (he has a head injury) saying "Stop! Just Stop what you're doing! Do any of you speak English??" Then a 70 year old Russian doc hits him with a hypo gun, knocking him out. This is the guy who went toe to toe with unstoppable morphing aliens in the series. Now he's dumb enough to get hypo'd by a guy on social security. Everything after this point was pure farce, and you feel insulted that you were expected to take any of it seriously.

The plot holes are too giant to describe. Save that for a guy that used to live on the cell phone, it doesn't occur to Mulder to use his phone when he finds out where the bad guys are. Oh yeah, he does, but his car gets rammed so he drops it. Then, when he wakes up hours later in his car, he still has his phone, but doesn't use it.

But wait, Skinner arrives anyway! And he has some of the dumbest lines in the movie as he and Skully try to find Mulder randomly in the dark! OK, I give up..... there's no describing it.

The Truth Is Out There, and it is this: Any member of the audience tonight that was laughing during this movie could have sat down, and in two weeks, written a treatment that would have turned into a better movie than what Chris Carter and Spotnitz wrote. If you are a fan, you will leave the theater with the same feeling; and you will be correct.

Yep, this...thing with two heads was written by two heads. Which is probably why you will see two-headed things in this movie.

As for myself, I Don't Want to Believe. I Don't Want to Believe that Carter would write something this bad, and this insulting to not only the die-hard X-Files fans, but for Duchovny and Anderson to perform.

I can't end without saying something directly to Carter, though I know he won't ever read it: Come on, Chris. You know you could have written a better and more compelling (and more coherent) script than this. You should have vetted it, found out how bad it was, scrapped it, and started from scratch with a new script with higher stakes and more meaning for your audience. Your audience deserved better, and your legacy deserves better.

(Cue mournful X-Files music at end......)

I Wanted To Believe

[Muldernscully · 6/10 · 31 May 2010]

Like every other X-phile out there, I was excited to learn that Chris Carter & co. were going to bring us another X-Files story in the form of a big-screen movie. After the cliff-hanging series finale 6 years earlier, I was anxious to see what had become of my two favorite FBI agents and their associates.

The opening teaser, if you will, gets the movie off to a good start. It's dark and creepy, while apparently simultaneously the FBI is doing a search of a large snow field. An FBI agent is kidnapped and unrelated body parts are being found.

So, the FBI is investigating this case and a priest with psychic powers comes forward with his visions about the case. Are Doggett and Reyes investigating this case? No. Are they brought in to help because of their X-Files experience? No. Is a sentence even mentioned on their whereabouts? No. Where is Skinner or Kersh? Nope. No mention of them either. Agent Dakota Whitney, played by Amanda Peet, feels the best move is to bring in Agent Fox Mulder, who has been an FBI murder fugitive for the last 6 years. She somehow convinces the FBI to drop the murder charges in exchange for Mulder's services and insight. All is forgiven. I don't buy it. Scully is now back working as a doctor and the FBI apparently isn't concerned about her being an accomplice to Mulder either.

Moving on, Chris Carter gives us blatant nods to Mulder's character with a pan up to pencils in the ceiling and a close-up shot of him eating sunflower seeds. It's like the camera has its own personality and it's saying, "Hey, look! Mulder still likes sunflower seeds and throwing pencils in the ceiling!" A few minutes later, there is a close-up shot of George W. Bush while the X-Files theme plays. It's cheesy and a bit puzzling.

Although Gillian Anderson's and David Duchovny's acting is top-notch as always, Scully does a couple of things out of character. First, she scoffs at Father Joe for asking forgiveness for his sins. She's a woman of strong faith but she doesn't believe in forgiveness? I don't think so. And then, when they are becoming frustrated about the case, Scully brings up Mulder's sister again. She says he is still searching for her. Mulder came to peace with his sister's death in season 7's 'Closure'. Scully should know better than that.

Scully being a doctor and struggling with her faith adds a different angle to the show, since she's not full-time with Mulder. It kind of gives a season 9 feel to it. I'd like to say that the side story of the boy with cancer was compelling and drew me in, but I can't. I want the meat and potatoes, Mulder and Scully investigating a case together.

The movie is filled with several inconsistencies; Agent Whitney saying Mulder several times then saying "Fox" at the very end; the Russian guys all of a sudden speaking English at the end when they have been speaking in Russian up to that point; the ground is covered with snow during the entire movie, then Mulder's house has green grass; and finally, Skinner shows up in the final 15 minutes? I think he would've seen Mulder a lot sooner if Mulder was supposedly in hiding the last 6 years.

A special nod goes to Mark Snow for once again doing superb music for this movie. He sets the mood perfectly. Amanda Peet and Xzibit give decent, non-memorable stock performances as the investigating agents.

Overall, as a suspenseful, murder mystery this is a decent movie. However, as an X-Files story it disappoints. I left the theater with an empty feeling. "This is it?" I felt. Chris Carter and Frank Spotnitz had all this time to come up with a good "monster of a week" story and we get some body parts stealing with a pedophile priest with visions. After a 6 year hiatus, the X-Files deserved a better story that was more carefully written. Important issues were either ignored or poorly explained.

I want to believe that Chris Carter will get one more chance to bring some closure to this saga that is more befitting Mulder and Scully and the X-Files universe.

xfiles i want to believe

[memphisgoodguy · 2/10 · 30 July 2008]

What a huge disappointment. The plot was lame, the movie dragged on for what seemed like 4 hours. This movie didn't come close to even an average 1 hour episode of the original TV show. Scully was in, then she was out. One scene she supports Mulder and then in the same seen she waffles again. I hope they try another movie since I am such a huge fan of the show, I will go to a new movie, but Chris Carter has one more chance to get it right for a feature movie. Again, the movie was just plain stupid! The previews of the movie hinted that it was extraterrestial in nature. Then it turned out to be a crude remake of Frankenstien. They never developed the permise regarding why these experiments were taking place, why they were in the USA, what was so special about the person they were trying to keep alive, and why they had a pedofile priest as the "seerer".

Plots never developd: 1) When was the birth of mulder and Sculley's baby 2) How come the FBI couldn't find Mulder 3) Who was the patentient and why was he being experimented on 4) Why the subplot of the sick boy

WHAT A Disappointment

A good solid thriller

[kristan-bailey · 7/10 · 24 July 2008]

I've been an X-Files fan for a long time, so when I came out of the theatre after watching this movie I had a lot of mixed emotions. It's certainly not the epic of the first movie, it's a small more personal thriller that succeeds in being more satisfying than it's predecessor, but maybe at the expense of the excitement.

No one can deny that it's well written and the acting is good. Mulder and Scully's relationship is handled perfectly and in this area I think the movie is most successful, it's romantic but understated, without making the mistake of slipping into melodrama.

'I Want to Believe' is a good solid thriller, but I can't help but wondering if Chris Carter tried too hard to appeal to the people who weren't fans of the show, because after you watch it, you are left wondering what actually makes this an X-Files movie?

What were they thinking?

[barnes-183 · 2/10 · 20 September 2008]

I was not an obsessed fan of the TV show, but I certainly was a fan. The show was spooky, funny (dry humor but humor none the less) and had wonderful chemistry between the leads.

Problems with this film The biggest problem: the characters in this film say and do things with no respect to the nature of their characters. One day Scully pushes and manipulates Mulder to take on this case. He resists, but Scully is hell bent on convincing him to take the case. OK, fine. This leads me to believe that the Scully character wants Mulder to take the case. Then, 48 hours later, she decides that Mulder is obsessed with the case (he is working more than a 9-5 in order to solve it) and she tells him that he must drop the case or she will leave him forever (I think they are married, or at least the next best thing). Huh? One day she feels strongly that he take the case, 48 hours later she is willing to nix her entire marriage to him because he has been working overtime for the last 2 days? What does this tell us about Scully? That random motivations flit through her mind with no rhyme or reason and that she acts on them impulsively? If that is what she is, how can the audience sympathize with her? How could Mulder deal with her as a wife? How could there be screen chemistry between a man and a random motivation generating machine? The thing is, any random 10th grader would not have made this mistake if they were hired to write this script.

Problem #2: The cinematography was what you would expect from a moderate budget TV show, not a movie. It had the look and feel of a normal TV episode and yet was worse than nearly all the episodes of year 1-7.

Not as bad as people are making it out to be

[kimberly_ann · 8/10 · 25 July 2008]

Honestly, I thought this was a good film. I'll even go so far as to say a great film. I really think that Chris Carter, David Duchovny, and Gillian Anderson delivered what they had promised to. All along, throughout the post-production and press campaign we've been told that this is a creepy story with Mulder and Scully's relationship at its core. Well, that's what it is ... plain and simple. I really think that all the negativity and people's harsh reviews are from false and hyped up expectations of what this movie is supposed to be. If anything, you should just try to walk into the theatre with an open mind.

But I almost think some people who reviewed this film, saw a different film than I did ...

1. I read a review in which the person said Gillian Anderson's acting was awful. That is false. It is quite the contrary. Gillian Anderson is probably one of the strongest aspects of this movie. Every time she's in a scene, you're captivated.

2. I had read that Mulder and Scully don't show up in the film until 45 minutes into it. False. Scully appears in the 3rd scene - so what? no more than 7 minutes? - and Mulder directly follows.

3. Someone complained about an irrelevant and torturously long scene where Mulder fills up his gas tank. This doesn't happen. He goes to a gas station, gets out of his car, and goes into a store.

4. Lastly, it was rumored that the actors where flubbing up their lines all the time. Okay, even if they did, that wouldn't end up in the final film. Obviously they do multiple takes for a reason. The lines are solid.

This movie is not boring. The surprises are there. It may not be scary in a 'horror film' sort of way where things are jumping out at you every 2 seconds, but it is scary. The acting is amazing. Gillian Anderson on her own is a joy to watch, but when you put her in a scene with David it's either going to break your heart or melt it. The supporting cast won't let you down, and neither will the storyline. It's not paranormal in the sense of freaks and monsters, but religion and God. It's very much in the fashion of "All Things"; seeing the signs and following them. Finally, it is just excellently put together. Whoever edited this film did a phenomenal job! The inter-cutting and juxtaposition was out of this world.

GIVE IT A CHANCE, FOLKS.

"Maybe that's the answer..., don't give up."

[classicsoncall · 7/10 · 31 August 2017]

More than anything, this felt like an extended X-Files TV episode, but neither fitting into a myth arc story or one dealing with the paranormal or a monster of the week. One could argue that the pedophile priest was a monster and his psychic ability helped point in the direction of solving the case, but this could have been a stand alone story without Mulder (David Duchovny) or Scully (Gillian Anderson) involved in it.

The dynamic between Scully and Mulder is strained as well, not a good thing for fans of the series or the principals. There's acknowledgment of the loss of Scully's son, who by this time if you go by the end of the series run, would be about six years old. I thought Scully's bonding with the young boy Christian (Marco Niccoli) with Sandhoff disease brought those feelings of lost motherhood to the fore. But there was a huge unforced error in the script when Mulder responded to Scully's statement about his sister abducted by aliens and he responded as if it happened that way. Huge, huge error, and why Chris Carter allowed that to stand is just mind boggling.

If the story had to bring back another regular character from the series, I'm glad it was Skinner, but his appearance was almost superfluous and not really necessary to the story line. He did make a key save at one point, but that could have been handled by anyone else. As a fan of the series, I found something to like in just about every show, and I don't think I rated any individual episode below a '7', but unfortunately, that's the highest mark I can give this film. If you're a completist, by all means, see the film. But go in knowing that much of the flavor and dynamic of the original series is not re-established here. Which is a shame, the movie could have been so much more.

Weak, there is no point to it

[Smells_Like_Cheese · 5/10 · 30 July 2008]

The X-Files, one of the most famous television shows that ended in 2002, had a movie in 2000, just came out with a sequel. To be honest, I was wondering why, I know that there are still fans that are shaking to see their favorite agents back, but the story was weak and felt like another episode, just an extended one. Now I did enjoy The X-Files series, I also did like the first X-Files film, so I felt like maybe this was going to be big and have an exciting story, but instead we have just another episode that is trying to have the Saw edge and gross people out. We also have some added characters that are just weak, for example Xzibit as a one dimensional character who is just flat and typical, also, it's Xzibit, I don't know what casting director was thinking "he's perfect", no offense to this guy, but he should stick to his day job. David and Gillain are also off track and don't have the same chemistry as they did in the series.

Fox Mulder has been requested back by the FBI to help them with a case of missing female FBI agents, he meets a priest/pedophile/psychic who is also helping the FBI out with the case. Dana Scully has decided to stay with her current career as a doctor who is struggling to save a little boy's brain disease. But Fox wants her back in work with him and together they discover the darker world that is happening with these missing FBI agents and the Russian black market.

The X Files: I Want to Believe is over all not a bad movie by any means, but it's at this point that it seems like the writers were not even trying. Also with David and Gillain, I like to call this movie The X Files: I Want a Paycheck, because they just didn't put their hearts into this and you can tell very much, I thought David hated the series, you think he would have been more stubborn or at least would have read the script first before the paycheck. As far as for the fans, I'd recommend that you just do the matinée, it's not a full price ticket movie, it's just an extended episode, the ending is anti-climatic and this was just pointless.

5/10

A welcome return for Mulder and Scully

[ametaphysicalshark · 25 July 2008]

"It's here! It's here!" shouts Billy Connolly's mysterious, questionable, and apparently psychic Father Joe Crissman in the film's opening scene, and although he is talking about something much more grotesque than the return of "The X-Files", the words clearly echo the thoughts of every last X-Phile awaiting the return of Mulder and Scully, of "The X-Files", and, as surely everyone hoped, something to make up for the many hours wasted on the show's astonishingly mediocre final season.

If you do not enjoy "The X-Files" you will not enjoy "I Want to Believe". That is a simple fact. Although this film was marketed as a standalone feature requiring no prior understanding of the series, the final product is quite far removed from one of the more straightforward standalone episodes, and is actually more about characters and themes than the plot itself, which is not on its own very good.

What it comes down to in the end is whether or not I was satisfied when the credits started rolling and UNKLE's excellent version of Mark Snow's theme started playing. The answer is yes. "The X-Files: I Want to Believe" is not entirely satisfying as a straightforward thriller. It is not entirely satisfying as a procedural or as a medical drama. It is, however, satisfying when the disparate elements come together to form the thematic core of Chris Carter and Frank Spotnitz's solid screenplay, and although the journey to the ending is occasionally frustrating, preachy, and even downright annoying, the end result is worth it.

Nobody can rightfully accuse Carter and Spotnitz of writing a hurried screenplay. If anything, "The X-Files: I Want to Believe" is too preoccupied with including as much as possible on a thematic level. This film could have been a tight, thrilling 90-minute film if they had decided to go that way. What "The X-Files: I Want to Believe" is, is a combination of various sorts of episodes into one feature film. If you crave a straightforward, scary thriller you will inevitably be disappointed, because that simply is not what this film is about, regardless of what Carter himself might tell you. When the film comes together as a whole at the end, the X-File (or in this case, not so much) itself couldn't possibly matter less. The title, which seems frustratingly awkward on paper, is incredibly fitting once you have actually seen the film.

"The X-Files", also known as "Fight the Future", released in 1998, was a mythology-based story with plenty of action. It was "The X-Files" in blockbuster mode. Although it satisfied many fans I found it rushed, inconsequential, and severely lacking in substance. While "I Want to Believe" may feature a main plot that often feels like a sub-plot, and one that is quite far from being the most inventive or exciting Mulder and Scully have ever dealt with, it feels like a more complete film. What is lacking in thrills, scares, and action, is made up for with outstanding character moments and an effective thematic core.

Chris Carter's feature debut as director, "The X-Files: I Want to Believe" provides some solid visual moments in addition to some misguided decisions. All in all Carter keeps the film moving at the slow but involving pace of most episodes and the prelude to the film is a very well-executed scene.

The performances are uniformly outstanding except for Xzibit and Amanda Peet, who are both not given much to do. Billy Connolly's understated performance is a masterclass in acting that is quite possibly one of the best male performances of the year thus far, and Duchovny and Anderson slip back into the roles of Mulder and Scully (albeit an older, slightly different Mulder and Scully) with no problems whatsoever.

The film features several outstanding scenes, the final conversation between Mulder and Scully in the film, and Scully's late-night confrontation of Father Joe (a stunning scene, really), stand out as the finest. Carter provides the romantics much to swoon over but never allows the romantic plot to become cheesy or overpower the remainder of the film. The film is far from completely serious, as there is much humor here and a lot of treats for the fans including some very, very pleasant surprises and small references to the series (the latter taking place mostly in Mulder's office at the start of the film). Also look for a bizarre but funny gag involving J. Edgar Hoover, George W. Bush, and Mark Snow's "X-Files" theme.

"The X-Files: I Want to Believe" is an atmospheric thriller that while flawed and certainly not providing a definitive "X-Files" experience, is much better than 1998's "Fight the Future", and an enjoyable return for Mulder and Scully which encapsulates much of what made "The X-Files" so addictive- humor, drama, great characters, and an excellent musical score.

7.5/10

Sombre, low-key, metaphysical drama

[cpbadgeman · 7/10 · 28 July 2008]

Ten years have passed since the release of this film's predecessor ("X-Files- Fight the Future") and the times have definitely changed. Almost immediately, director Chris Carter makes it clear that ex-Special Agents Mulder and Scully have moved a long way from being the maverick duo who fearlessly investigated paranormal phenomena regardless of the consequences. Scully is now a doctor in a large hospital and her former partner is a recluse who initially is in hiding from his former colleagues in the FBI.

However fate, in the form of a missing FBI agent, intervenes and our heroes are invited back to consult on the case. The primary reason for their involvement is that the only worthwhile leads in the current mystery are being generated by a disgraced priest, Father Crissman (a wonderful Billy Connolly), who has been experiencing visions related to the agent's abduction. Crissman seems to be sincere in his desire for help but Mulder and Scully are deeply divided about the nature of his true motives. In addition the investigation gains more urgency as it emerges that while the missing agent may still be alive, she may become the next victim of a serial murderer.

All this sets the stage for an exploration of numerous themes of a decidedly metaphysical nature including the nature of faith, the courage required to hope, and the existence of God. Furthermore, the question of what constitutes human life and who then controls it is also central to several different plot threads running through the film. The differing attitudes of the two main characters regarding their present life allows "I Want to Believe" to explore such topics as alienation, and the perils associated with living excessively in either the present or the past.

Though the plot moves along at a decent pace, the action scenes are subdued. Overall, this is a very cerebral and somber piece of cinema. The subdued mood is further emphasized by the bleak, frozen West Virginia setting which is photographed beautifully.

In conclusion, this latest installment in the saga of Mulder and Scully stays true to the spirit of the original TV show while also appearing to take the franchise in a new, more introspective, direction. Both Chris Carter and his co-screenwriter Frank Spotnitz have courageously chosen to make a film anchored in themes that take center-stage only in adulthood. Instead of taking the audience to outer space, this film plots a skillful course to the dark side of the moon.

For the fans

[juancri · 6/10 · 23 July 2008]

I'm not a big fan of X-Files. I think this movie is for the fans. If you have never watched the series, don't watch the movie. As a stand-alone movie, it's very poor. For the fans, the movie is great, because they get some answers (and more questions) about the relation between Dana and Fox. You can also see other characters of the series.

About the story itself, it's very basic. It could contain a lot of more mystery and action, but it's predictable and simple. The reaction of the characters are not consequent, you see the story changing every five minutes without any explanation. The action is so basic. There are some good episodes in the series that are better than this movie.

100% Disappointed

[ssilvamty · 4/10 · 11 August 2008]

I was reading some comments about this movie and One guy said it was Great! Later, I understood why. He just had watched 3 chapters before this movie. So, for him it was a logical, interesting movie. For people who is a real fan of this series is a total disappointment. The characters could have been "John and Mary Smith" and nothing would happen. This is not even an "X File". It is not related with any of the cases that we used to watch neither with any of the characters we used to see. This might have been just a "regular chapter" from the series. There are ANY spectacular scenes like in the first movie. This is just a plain, boring, movie and Mulder and Scully are there just by chance. I think this could have been more successful if the story would be about two FBI characters and avoiding Mulder and Scully. I feel cheated.

The Most Depressed Kiss in history of TV... I mean... Movies?

[therealleemajors · 6/10 · 23 November 2008]

One thing Chris Carter got right about his series: that Mulder expelled himself from social living because he is different. And Scully got also excluded because she supports him at heart but, ironically, none of his beliefs. This was more important than conspiracies and UFOs, it was the core of X-Files: She always had to believe, but wouldn't.

And now they are together as lovers, they can't live without the other one but at the same time Mulder's compulsions are unbearable, "write a book" she says. It's depressing, they will never be happy: Mulder will never decease to be Mulder and Scully can't live with or without him. And past all these years they still struggle with their relationship, not sure if it was the right path, that only a supernatural "don't give up" may change.

Another gloomy part was Mulder talking briefly about his sister, that in 2000's his UFO beliefs are ridiculous as Santa traveling the sky. Mulder changed. He doesn't argue back. Not even a wisecrack. He is not so convincing anymore because looks so defeated as a Unabomber cliché. Its the Mulder helpless and without a badge. So he is hesitant, fearing the failure, wanting to be back in FBI investigations but hating the prospect of it.

Meanwhile Scully fights back a real life "church vs stem cell research" that might terminate her medical career. Her maternal side urges to save a boy that she never had or will have. She even fights the parents for his life revealing her as True mother in Salomon's sense. And Mulder is just not there, almost as if he doesn't care.

This is the canvas of I Want to Believe, everything else are cumbersome devices trying to appease the X-Philes that don't play very well in a larger screen: Any given moment a skeptical FBI agent walks away saying "it won't work, let's leave" Mulder has an epiphany saving the entire unorthodox investigation. Every time Mulder is revealing something new, Scully cuts it out until she has an epiphany herself. The audience can anticipate every plot move like a series rerun.

The X-files tune playing at the portrait of W.Bush suggests that Mulder and Scully doesn't have a place in FBI; of coursely, surely, after all, all Conspiracy Theories are very practical under the W.Bush doctrine. But the conspiracy motif that anchored the series were only explored in this silly moment; instead of the bigger-than-life "oh, the humanity" moment, the movie goes for a CSI case that doesn't redeem Mulder nor Scully a bit. The movie ends with a reticent acceptance that is all there is and their kiss is almost a manifestation of that. Is terrible to see two close friends of mine unhappy for life in the middle of the cold nowhere; their love for each other is virtually a curse.

This was not worth 6 years of waiting

[anders-469 · 4/10 · 22 September 2008]

Okay here goes. I have read all the review's and then read them again and I'm baffled that the majority gives this movie anything above 5. The acting from David and Gillian gets a 10 out of 10 but script gets 1 out of 10 As a X-files fan i was so let down by this movie half way through i gave up on my expectations of closure or an opening to future films. I think overall the biggest mistake Chris carter ever made was selling his "baby" to Fox entertainment because they have the power to take the very best and turn it into something mediocre and mainstream garbage. They gave a much smaller budget for the second movie than they did with the first it should be the other way around if u ask me. THANK U FOX FOR RUINING EVERYTHING! season 8-9 and now this movie. U might as well have left it in the gutter than giving Chris a crap budget so he goes and makes a movie like this.

I will first get into where the series stop with Scully giving up her baby and Mulder sentenced to death by lethal injection and the FBI infiltrated by aliens "disguised" as humans. The movie is about a psychic man that receives visions of a Female FBI agent that has been kidnapped. An agent "Amanda Peet" who believes this man obviously but still she sends an agent to ask Scully if she can find Mulder and that it might just save the life of an FBI agent and that if Mulder shows up all will be forgiven. HEY WAIT A SECOND! Mulder was sentenced to death by a lethal injection by a military court of law and just by believing in the psychic more than the other agent all is forgiven? that is so thin that its laughable. And what has happened in the 6 years where no one has asked questions in the FBI shouldn't it be run by aliens by then ? the final alien invasion was set to the year 2012 but this doesn't even come up. I mean if there suddenly aren't any threat from the aliens or the Super soldiers or anything then it seems kinda senseless that Scully would have to give up her baby in the first place. And as the aliens aren't directly tied to the FBI and still wanting to get rid of Mulder how can the threat suddenly be gone? What made X-files so special was for one the Cancer man/smoking man/ CGB spender/William B. Davis. where he would walk into the pentagon lockup stashing crucial evidence of the existence of "E.T" life thus ending the episode. Now that was cool!

All of these questions were flying around my head when i walked into the movies and as half the movie had rolled across the screen i couldn't help but to let out a large sigh. Scully gives up her baby because of the threat the alien super soldiers poses but 6 years later all is fine and they get to play house i mean it cant be only me who thinks that is extremely vague and down right stupid.

And as for the movie it self Scully goes to Mulder and she has to persuade him into helping the FBI finding the missing agent and finally Mulder agrees and then later on in the movie Scully has a fit on Mulder for getting the case under his skin as he always does and causing a huge drama between them? Why even go to Mulder telling him FBI wants his help if she clearly does not want him to have anything to do with "the darkness" of solving a crime thats just dumb and poor script writing. Second the main villain and the main theme is so weird once u think about it. Its a gay man who is trying to save his lover from cancer by abducting people with the same blood type to change the cancer infected body parts with new fresh ones? WHAT? YEA YOU HEARD ME! u actually see his head is still alive just by keeping a blood flow to the brain? not even in the "bad" episodes of season 1 did they come up with anything this stupid. Id rather watch season 8 and 9 than this movie.

It has been said in all the interview's that the movie is about Mulders and Scullys relationship but who cares about them playing house? that being said David and Gillian delivers some stunning acting as always. But its totally lost on this crap movie. Why cast actors like Amanda Peet "who got famous by getting naked in a movie" and Xibit who is a rapper if I'm not mistaken. Kinda gives the feeling that u didn't think very highly of the movie before u started making it. What made the X-files so popular was the mythology about aliens and conspiracy not the Mulder/Scully relationship not that it didn't add a lot to the show but thats not what the Fans "philes" have been waiting for. But yea i don't know how you could save it since u killed William B. Davis off the show. But any given fan could have writing or at least come up with better ideas for a movie than what you have delivered.

CHRIS U OWE US A MYTHOLOGY MOVIE AND FOX ENTERTAINMENT BACK THE F... OFF AND GIVE HIM THE BUDGET HE NEEDS! He let u milk his baby for 2 seasons more than it should have lasted now u should give him what he asks for no matter what it is. People aren't going to get hooked on X-files over a drama suspense thriller that has absolutely nothing to do with the mythology......

WE WANT TO BELIEVE!

big disappointment

[claudemercure · 6/10 · 4 August 2008]

In the last shot of the theatrical preview for this movie, we see Mulder and Scully turn around to stare at something we assume is very significant. Turns out it's merely a pedestrian reaction shot. And as such, it represents I Want To Believe very well.

This movie gets pretty much everything wrong. First off, it assumes that people watching it have not only seen, but also remember the weak last few seasons of the show. {WHAT FOLLOWS WOULDN'T BE CONSIDERED A SPOILER BY THE FILM'S DIRECTOR, SINCE HE SEEMS TO ASSUME WE ALREADY KNOW THIS} I had no recollection of the two leads ending up romantically involved, which is an incredibly wrong-headed development. Mulder and Scully's platonic partnership was the show's strongest building block. Seeing them in bed together came as a "what the f--k?" moment and felt as wrong as incest. {END MILD, INSIGNIFICANT SPOILER} Then there's the impression that series creator Chris Carter (who wrote and directed this movie), Gillian Anderson, and David Duchovny have all forgotten not only who these characters are, but what the show was about.

The actors call each other by their characters' names, but it feels like a bad impersonation. The biggest problem might be the story, though, which needed to feel like more than just an afterthought, a contrivance to get our duo to investigate spooky goings-on. Speaking of which, the supernatural plays a surprisingly tiny part; apparently, Carter even forgot the genre of his TV show. The main plot feels too mundane (at least until its secrets are revealed at the end, which does provide a few welcome horror thrills). There is an entire pointless subplot devoted to a dilemma faced by Scully at the hospital where she works. The film's subtitle is repeated to eye-rolling effect every time. A recurring character from the show makes an appearance but is given nothing to do. Then Duchovny spouts a few pseudo-profundities, and the whole mess mercifully ends.

It Stank

[gwendolynZ · 1/10 · 3 August 2008]

Chris Carter thinks he can dump a trash script that was sitting in his TV-series-reject stockpile on die-hard XFile fans. There were at least 5 occasions during the film where I was questioning the logic of the story and by the end, was still waiting for explanations that never were delivered.

My opinions (no facts, just educated guesses!): 1) CC wanted to milk his cash cow without spending time crafting a new screenplay. 2) Because of the profit & success of the first film, either CC made sure his contract stated to leave him alone and not staunch his "creativity", or the studio gave CC carte blanche & never sent a "suit" (executive) to check on what he was doing. 3) Gillian & David D. got suckered into this - because they signed on to do a package deal (two or three films) and had no say on the script. 4) X-File fans will still turn out for another film, because they love the Mulder & Scully characters. I am very sorry to write such a diatribe, but it was extremely disappointing.

Better than your average MOTW...

[KillerK1991 · 8/10 · 25 July 2008]

The Good: - Duchovny, Anderson, and Connelly all deliver excellent performances. Mulder and Scully are still fun to watch. - The atmosphere of the show is very much kept intact. - The surprise appearance of a series regular is a great addition to the finale of the movie. - The Scully Subplot was done very well. - The few action sequences are well done. - It explains what happened to Mulder and Scully.

The Bad: - Xzibit's character is as one dimensional as a piece of paper. - The plot is very weak due to it being incredibly simplistic. - It's slow pace will turn off many. - It feels made for T.V, almost exactly like an episode from season 7. They should've made it a 2 hour special on T.V instead. - It's way more of a Drama film than a Sci Fi thriller, which is misleading since the previews showed otherwise.

Overall: I had mixed thoughts when leaving the theater. Though it was slightly disappointing and underwhelming, it was still a good movie, especially for X Files fans. Duchovny and Anderson have not lost a step and deserve either another season to close up the series or another movie. I'm leaning more towards the former, as the movies have illustrated that Carter excels far more in a T.V environment.

A good film (but not a successful one)

[bowmanblue · 7/10 · 29 January 2015]

'The X-files: I Want to Believe' was the second big screen tie-in to be spawned from the excellent TV series. However, if failed to set the box office alight and also was met with a lukewarm reaction from the fans (of which I am one). I loved all nine series of the sci-fi drama, tuning in each week to watch the two FBI agents, Mulder and Scully, as they tracked down one supernatural mystery after the next.

As I mentioned, the X-files went on for a colossal nine series, covering everything from alien abduction, to pyrokinesis and artificial intelligence. Therefore, it was fair to say that it had a rich (supernatural) background from which to build on. Fans naturally expected it to somehow continue from the end of the ninth series (concentrating on the conspiracy between sinister alien forces and a splinter-cell of the American government to take over the world). However, it didn't.

The second X-files movie is a very condensed little piece which, although uses the main characters, doesn't really feel much like part of the series. It's a stand-alone affair which, amazingly (and in some people's opinion - unforgivably), doesn't really have that much to do with the paranormal. Yes, there's a priest who has psychic powers, but that element feels pretty underutilised during the whole story.

What you have here, rather than a film which is very much sci-fi/conspiracy (keeping in tone with the series), is one which is - almost - a standard FBI vs Serial killer movie. You could almost have removed the small psychic element and simply had Scully and Mulder hunt down someone harvesting body parts.

I'm tempted to say that, if you like the series, you'll like this, but most people didn't. I didn't either the first time I watched it. I expected something big and loud and filled with aliens and double-crossing. What I got was something smaller and more subtle. Now I've seen it a second time, I like it a little more. But, as many said about Star Trek 9: Insurrection, it felt more like an extended TV episode rather than a cinematic vehicle to re-launch the X-files onto a new generation. So, if you like cops tracking down serial killer type movies then you'll probably like this. It's not bad, it's just not what I and many other die-hard X-files fans were expecting (I'd still be first in line if they ever announced an 'X-files 3' movie though!).

Seriously?

[SarahTeee · 1/10 · 5 August 2008]

Okay, so having watched all 9 seasons and the first film, I was really looking forward to this, as was my husband. I went in expecting a good film - the first film might not've been amazing, but it was watchable, and it fit in with the series, and I figured what with the huge wait for this one, they must've been taking their time and getting a great script together, because surely they'd want to prove wrong all the people who rubbished the first film?

I think maybe they waited too long to do another movie. I think maybe Chris Carter forgot what The X-Files used to be about, forgot what exactly it was that made the show so great. Yeah, the episodes were weird, and yeah some story lines strained belief, but they always offered so much to back it up that it got you thinking, and it always had an enthusiasm in the characters that just made it enjoyable regardless of believability.

Pet peeves of the movie: 1. No follow on from the end of season 9 at all. 2. "Come back, all is forgiven." Never realised Mulder was that blindly trusting. He's a wanted man. He never even bothered to make sure that the offer was on the level, just took their word for it - the word of a government he's never trusted. 3. The focus was all wrong...instead of focusing on the case and the background and giving us details to involve us and catch our interest, they focused on Mulder and Scully's relationship, except that there was zero chemistry between the two, and they even tried, unsuccessfully, to add back some of the will they won't they tension from the series with Scully's half-hearted threats of "I'll leave you". 4. The bad guys weren't even scary - they were stolen from over half the horror films currently out there, kidnapping with sick experiments seems to be par for the course when going for shock value these days, so shame on Chris Carter for following the crowd. 5. Even the ending was half-hearted - less than 10mins of one of the main characters from the series - surely Skinner deserved a bigger role? Basically it just left us feeling cheated.

I really tried to like it, I wanted to like it, but it just wasn't an X-file. Give Mulder and Scully's characters different names, and it just becomes another in a long line of preachy films about letting science go to far, and religion, - and seriously? Making the paedophile a good guy? What kind of message is that sending out?

Shame on you Chris Carter.