X-Files: I Want to Believe

FRIDAY THE 13TH REVIEW!

Release Date: July 25, 2008

Time Kate wanted to see it: When I learned it had come out (some time between 2008 and 2009).
Reason Kate procrastinated: I'm a fan of the series and didn't want to be disappointed. Also, I don't want the dream to be over! (Plus I haven't seen very many episodes past the sixth season; I'm more invested in early X-Files than later X-Files.)

Category: Sequel

Kate says I enjoyed this, mostly because it was like watching a long episode of early X-Files! That's X-Files when the mythology was still cool and ambiguous (before it got way too confused). X-Files: I Want to Believe has psychics, medical doctors doing weird experiments, serial offenders, the same Mulder-Scully arguments, crazy Russians. And snow! (I got to give Chris Carter's kudos for his near-obsession with setting movies and episodes in deep winter.)

It really is not necessary to have seen the X-Files series through to completion. Unlike the first movie, which I quite like (I remember going to see it, Mike!), this movie could really have taken place at any point in the X-Files chronology--even Mulder & Scully living together isn't all that outside the box. In fact, I thought Chris Carter did a fine job summing up the background information in a clean, throw-a-away fashion. 

I will admit, I think the first three seasons of X-Files did produce better episodes than this one. But it is still nice that Chris Carter can produce the same fun more than a decade later. And some parts of this long episode, uh, movie, make more sense, such as Mulder and Scully having different jobs/interests. Also, the duo are relatively more direct about their relationship than in the series or first movie. Like Mike, I would have liked to see them work more together (perhaps, if the emotional arc could have come to a crisis earlier?)--in fact, in Seasons 1-3, Scully and the boy, with Mulder on assist, would have been one episode; Mulder and the crazy psychic, with Scully on assist, would have been another.

The one thing that seriously irked me was Scully pushing Mulder to get re-interested in the FBI and then balking when he, well, pulls a Mulder and gets really invested. I HATE this plot device, and I thought it made no sense. Scully is Mulder's rationalist lover, not his annoying girlfriend.

I thought it would have made more sense if Scully had tried to get Mulder interested in a minor, police issue (not realizing it would lead to the FBI), or if someone else had gotten Mulder involved or if Mulder had written a letter to the FBI, not expecting them to show up on his doorstep.

But the whole "well, I wanted you to stop hanging around the house, but I'm pissed that you couldn't just stop with a consultation" was stupid. Doesn't she know this guy at all? Mr. Obsessive himself?

She does, actually. So I thought the whole plot device was seriously unfaithful to the original characters.

However, it does its job of getting Mulder involved, and, once involved, I absolutely believe Scully would object to his obsessing--in her usual Scully way.

And I really liked the ending, Mulder saying, "Maybe the darkness finds us," and Scully saying, "I know it does" and her deciding in the end to go forward despite every rational reason to stop. That was a nice pay-off to the series.

And Skinner shows up! What's not to love?

Hmmm, I think I'll start rewatching my X-Files discs . . .

Mike says it's appropriate that Kate and I review this film now, nearly 13 years since we first saw the original film in theaters together. It was a fun time from what I recall, though I was there as a geek, and Kate may have actually been the fan. It was a fun, if odd movie, and I was excited at the prospect of seeing Mulder and Scully together once more when I heard a second movie was being released (by excited, I mean I saw it opening night in the theater).

The film starts in common X-Files manner, showing the audience a clue that begins the whole search for truth. Enter our heroes, cynical and faith worn in their lives, despite having what appears to be a comfortable long term relationship.

There are a lot of great moments in the first 20 minutes of the show, as the characters are all introduced, and the plot is laid out before us. There is some witty X-Files humor (the theme playing as we see a frame of George W. Bush), especially those that nod to the past, such as Mulder and his pencils.

The mystery laid out is a bizarre one, but compelling anyway, despite it's more gruesome aspects. And the return of the X-Duo is pretty satisfying. However...I found myself annoyed at how the "team reunion" seemed to be the team working apart. Mulder seems lost but seems to rediscover himself in the case. Scully, however, seems to have lost faith and is hiding in her new life.

One thing I did love about the film is that it treated the events of the series as old hat; yes, it happened, we know it happened, and some of that information is still relevant, so let's make some references! The movie is crammed with little name drops, references, inside jokes and the memories of big events. Mulder and Scully are living in the world that exists after the TV show, and the past is relevant, important, and worth talking about it.

Now, the movie itself isn't that amazing. Personally, I feel like I needed to hit the beach after watching it just to warm up. Second, while the evil guys are simply established, it was hard to fully grasp their motivations. and the investigation itself did seem to have a lot of coincidental lucky spots (granted, that's the upside of a psychic; you can get away with that).

We only ever see our villains in creepy moments that establish the threat and danger, but the main masterminds, either the doctor or the patient, never really have any lines (in English at least). We piece together that the purpose is to escape cancer, and perhaps gender crisis, by swapping bodies. This idea has so many holes, however, that it's more shocking and gross than emotionally wrenching.

The story with the most emotional charge is Scully's, but sadly it's also the section of the movie that doesn't really fit. Mulder and Scully really should be together. Or at least still be working on the same thing. The fact that the payoff for the Scully story is that she solves the case with a coincidental misprinted article is fairly weak, and is an obvious piece of deux ex machina.

The movie is ultimately about faith, whatever that may be placed in. Mulder and Scully both seem to find it again, but Scully's is the choice that carries the most weight and the largest consequences for her patient, although we never get to see the outcome. A confirmation of the audience's faith would have been welcome.

What makes the film work is the strong chemistry between Mulder and Scully, and the relative ease of the relationship they share. Sure, Frankenstein's monsters are cool and weird, but it was nice to be able to say goodbye to loved friends one last time.