The X-Files: I Want to Believe (Three-Disc Special Edition + Digital Copy)

Much like the first theatrical outing for Mulder and Scully, this will disappoint some for what it is not, and others for what it actually is. It is very much the type of stand-alone story which used to be squeezed between the conspiracy and mythology episodes. The problem presented by the avenue chosen by Chris Carter and Frank Spotnitz is that after so many years have passed, fans aching for what The X-Files did best will be confronted by a dreary and snowy low-key and intimate story which while excellent on its own, is not what fans had anticipated.

That being said, I do believe, however, after the initial shock, and perhaps after a second viewing, fans will embrace it for Carter's courage to once again fly in the face of the powers that be and tell an often creepy stand-alone story showing how the darkness always found Mulder and Scully, and how it was having each other to lean on which helped each keep their faith. It is almost as if this is a segue to something more on the horizon. For even within the confines of a story which does not deal in the slightest manner with any of the X-Files mythology fans have hungered for, there are portents.

Beginning with both Mulder and Scully leading very different lives than those we came to know, Carter uses the darkness to bring them back together. It is a kidnapped F.B.I. Agent and a Bureau ready to forgive Mulder for his many indiscretions if only he will help work with the psychic who may or may not be genuine which starts things rolling. Scully's need to help a young boy with an incurable disease and the relationship of our favorite F.B.I. couple, even though neither works for the Bureau anymore, gets as much screen time as the premise, which is like a creepy episode rather than a feature film.

Duchovny and Anderson are still fabulous together, perhaps even more so in a somber and low-key outing such as this. The intimacy and history of the couple is what the film is about, and how faith can be restored even amidst the darkness which always found them, and sometimes kept them apart. This really plays better as a small screen episode of the show, but because we have missed Mulder and Scully for so long, it gets an A.

There are references to Mulder's sister, the alien abduction which haunted and drove him in his quest for the truth. It is a story line we thought wrapped up. Now that is unclear. Carter did say in an interview about the film that no one ever really dies for good on the show. And though the film itself has dealt in absolutely no way at all with X-Files mythology, what should show up as a background to the closing credits? Black oil, that's what. And it ain't Texas tea. It is worth seeing if only for a very touching and tender moment between Mulder and Scully near the end. It is the kind of intimate conversation which made the show better than anything else we got to watch during its long run.

The story itself might have been better as an episode of the show, and those who venture into theatres expecting something grandiose after all this time will certainly come away wondering if it was worth the wait. Fans of the show, however, were fans because of the relationship between Fox Mulder and Dana Scully. So if you go in knowing that this is that sort of episode, in which the case is only an excuse to bring them back to who they were, then you'll enjoy it much more. It has much more in common with "Beyond the Sea" or "Irresistible" than say, "Nesei" and "731."

See it on the big screen to show support, so we can have more, but know you'll probably enjoy it more on your set once it comes to dvd.

As a huge fan of the X-Files and as someone who was disappointed by the 2nd movie, I was looking forward to watching the "extended cut" of the movie offered in this special edition set. In articles about the movie's production, Chris Carter moaned about Fox saying the movie couldn't run longer than an hour and a half and talked about having to cut the movie down quite quickly. I had hoped that the "extended cut" would fill in some of the holes I saw in the movie and would reflect Carter's original vision. Instead, the "extended cut" is only 4 minutes longer than the theatrical release and contains only one extra scene, that I noticed. Disappointing.

Mulder and Scully are back...and that's incredibly awesome!!!
I think it was a shame this movie didn't get the attention it deserved when it was released. I believe that the studio's poor promotion and the unfortunate date of release --THE DARK NIGHT's SUMMER-, among other external conditions didn't help it attract more viewers. But now that this fantastic 3-disc edition is here, there is no earthly excuse to not watch Mulder's and Scully's triumphal return.

Give this movie a chance if:

1)You were a fan back in the 90's --oH THOSE HAPPY DAYS!--.
2)You are sick of flat characters who never actually grow up, grow old and /or mature.
3)You are in the mood for an intelligent little movie and you have had your share of CGI and exaggerated action sequences -that, let's face it, turn out to be a whole lot of nonsense most of the times-.
4)You want to be captivated by 2 of the most representative characters in TV history.

Give it a try, re-watch some of the tv series'episodes, get in the mood and enjoy!! Remember the Truth is out there...and we want to find it in a third movie. I waited 6 years for this one, I hope I won't be waiting that much for an XF3!!!

Note: If you watched the movie in the theatre and thought the storyline had some slight plotholes, check out the DVD edition of the film. This is REALLY the film Carter wanted to give us. Few extra scenes give a subtle but meaningful enhancement.

I am a fan, I would have been happy with 2 hours worth of Mulder and Scully doing absolutely nothing in the screen, as long as they were back. But, we have been given a lot more! Chris Carter has given us a thriller and a pretty good one at that.

The film follows FBI agents in their search for a missing agent. They are aided by a man, a priest of questionable morals, who has visions. They bring in Mulder and Scully, now a surgeon (since when?!) to help them in their investigation. If Mulder helps, all will be forgiven (a bit of a stretch since he was charged by the military for murder after all). Regardless, our favorite couple discovers a sinister plan that will make you cringe.

Amanda Peet is the FBI Agent that brings Mulder in. Her character could have been better used. Skinner makes an appearance!

The movie was sinister, evil, spooky and just plain wrong. It was great! To top is all off: Mulder and Scully. There is nothing bad we can say about their acting and their portrayals...they own these characters, they created them, and made them the memorable characters we like. The direction was excellent, with amazing long shots and beautiful photography. The great musical score was done by Mark Snow, who else would have been better for this?!

For the X-philes (fans): oh, this will be fun, sunflower seeds, "I want to believe" poster, pencils in the ceiling and a whole lotta Mulder and Scully talk. Priceless. Did you see Chris Carter in the scene at the hospital, sitting down?

For the X-shippers, you will be happy. Mulder and Scully, what has happened will be answered and then some.

For the non-fan: it was very easy to understand, there is not that much mythology, just some references here and there that are not necessary for the understanding of the plot.

The movie is very good, and spooky, it talks about morality, about persistence and about beliefs. The movie once again, as the entire series of the X-Files did, challenges both Mulder and Scully in their beliefs along the way of solving yet another sinister crime. There are tons of plot holes and far fetched things though. Yes, there have been better episodes. But still, a great addition to The X-Files.

Still, I am going to wait for the Special edition which is sure to come.

I have a theory that there were three types of "X-Files" fans. The first were the die-hard sci fi types who started watching when it was a little known cult hit on Friday nights. The second group started watching when it moved to Sunday night, and were drawn to it by positive word of mouth and good reviews. The third type were never regular viewers of the show, but could probably pass a ten point quiz about it from the handful of episodes they've seen.

I was in the second category. I am not a sci-fi fan under normal conditions, but all the hype drew me to it. To my surprise, it was completely my cup of tea. Agent Mulder remains one of my favorite fictional characters, driven by a righteous single mindedness and an endearing devotion to the women in his life. He and Scully were the real deal, and remain one of my favorite TV romances. And the show had some stellar writing, combining paranoid conspiracy plots with fabulous stand alone outings. "The X-Files" was one of my favorite series.

The two movie versions fare less well. Like a lot of people, I lined up opening day for the first outing in 1998, and it was hugely disappointing. It didn't turn me off, I kept watching, right up through the lackluster finale in 2002. I don't think the series ever jumped the shark, but it came close by having Mulder go off and "hide in the desert" for inexplicable reasons to cover Duchovny's departure. Then there was Agent Scully, giving up her and Mulder's son to "keep him safe." I mean, really? Having FBI hero parents who can kick alien butt and save the world wasn't enough for young William Mulder... he was better off with strangers in Wyoming? I think I deserve a badge of honor for sitting through some of that stuff.

Having said all that, last summer I was more than happy to revisit the whole enterprise when the second movie came out. Watching it again recently on DVD, I had the same reaction as my first viewing: it is better than the first movie. It's better than several S9 episodes. But... it is not vintage "X-Files" by any means. The best episodes, and they are legion, defy logic and willingly suspend disbelief. They crackle with tension and good dialog.

This movie, like the first one, seems like a dumbed down version of an episode. The plot is idiotic, and its resolution is full of twists so implausible you want to laugh. There are moments (watch for scenes with a wrench) that seem deliberately campy. It lacks memorable dialog (unless you count the line, "Does anyone here speak English?") stimulating plot twists, or good humored exchanges. If I had never seen "The X-Files" and saw this movie, I would write it off entirely.

And yet, improbably, I enjoyed this movie. I love Mulder and Scully. Seeing them interact, six years after the finale, made me swoon. I was willing to sit through the C minus plot just for the nice moments between David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson. I'm glad they went back to British Columbia to film this outing... the scenery and winter wonderland quality are inspiring! I would happily pay money to watch this one several times.

So... it's not a good movie, and yet I enjoyed it and will watch it multiple times. Such is the life of a fan.

The X-Files TV series' untidy conclusion left fans wondering what happened. 2008's "The X Files: I Want To Believe" is producers Chris Carter and Frank Spotnitz' attempt to scratch that itch. The fan base of the TV series should find the result enjoyable if not completely satisfying.

As the story opens, a female FBI agent is subjected to a brutal kidnapping. The FBI's principal lead in the case is a disgraced pedophile priest (Billy Connally) with psychic visions of the kidnapping. The FBI lead investigators (nicely played by Amanda Peet and Alvin "Xzibit" Joiner) find themselves out of their depth and seek out former agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully (David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson reprising their roles). Scully is working as a doctor at a Catholic hospital, trying to save a young boy with a nominally terminal illness. Mulder is living in seclusion in a rural cottage, avoiding the FBI. The FBI offers them a clean slate if they will help.

Thus begins a bizarre case that would have been a solid "monster of the week" episode from the series. Mulder and Scully wrestle with clues that defy easy explanation; the credulous Mulder and the skeptical Scully will debate their meaning while racing to stop a hideous medical experiment. In a thrilling conclusion, Scully will call upon an old FBI friend to help rescue Mulder, whose relentless pursuit of the clues leaves him in mortal danger.

Carter and Spotnitz largely avoid X-Files conspiracy mythology while delivering the standard format of the TV series. Most satisfying to this reviewer, they honor the nuanced relationship between Mulder and Scully, who pick up their repartee without missing a beat. The progression of their relationship since the end of the series is revealed in an extremely well-done bedroom sequence in which Scully ponders aloud the case of her dying patient.

"The X-Files: I Want To Believe" is highly recommended to fans of the TV series. Newcomers may find the self-referential plot and characters difficult to follow. Fans should enjoy seeing what amounts to a new and extended TV episode whose concluding sequence offers some hopeful closure in the best tradition of the X-Files. Be sure to watch all the way through the closing credits for a nice postscript to the story.

Here's where I stand on THE X-FILES: I was a fan of the show for the first couple of seasons when every episode was different (remember the Jersey Devil episode and the one about the deformed redneck family?) and before it got really heavy into the same continuous storyline, and I saw the first X-FILES movie a couple of times when it first came out but it's been so long that I barely remember it. So I did enjoy the show, however I wouldn't consider myself a hardcore fan and I wouldn't go so far as to say that this was a highly anticipated movie for me. So, with that out of the way...

In THE X-FILES: I WANT TO BELIEVE, Mulder (David Duchovny) is living in seclusion and Scully (Gillian Anderson) is now a doctor. They are reunited when the FBI seeks them out for help to find a fellow agent who has gone missing. Mulder and Scully, along with the help of the FBI (with the two primary agents being portrayed by Amanda Peet and rapper Xzibit) and a goofy psychic named Father Joe (portrayed by Billy Connolly), eventually find clues that lead them to something gruesome and disturbing.

Throughout the movie there is a subplot where Scully is going through an ordeal at the hospital she works at involving a sick child who she is trying to save, the child's family, and the "powers that be" of the hospital who refuse to offer any further treatment for the child due to the fact that he suffers from an incurable disease. For most of the FBI investigation, Scully is absent and is faced with the dilemma of going through a radical medical procedure (stem cell) which may or may not help the child but will surely cause him a lot of pain. And then there's the Father Joe character who, while somewhat annoying at first, ultimately won me over due to actor Billy Connolly's charm. Father Joe is interesting in that he has a haunting past and is judged because of it, claims that God talks to him and gives him these psychic visions, and no one believes him except for Mulder.

Overall I enjoyed this film a lot! I really had no desire to see it, and actually decided to watch it just to see Xzibit in a "serious role". This film surprised me and kept my interest throughout. The entire film was definitely a throwback to the first seasons of the show in which they had the whole "Monster of the Week" thing going on which I mentioned earlier. It's basically a standalone Sci-Fi/Thriller with elements of Horror. The chemistry between Duchovny and Anderson is awesome and it's always great to see them back together on screen. Amanda Peet and Xzibit were both pretty good in their roles. It's sort of hinted in the movie that Peet's character has a thing for Mulder, but it never really goes anywhere for reasons I can't really talk about without ruining the movie. Xzibit was more of a background guy who didn't say a whole lot, who's character had a thick exterior to contrast Peet's more easy-going demeanor. And of course Connolly was great as always.

Another thing that I loved about the movie was the Cinematography. It was filmed in Canada during the winter and the snowy scenery and photography in the film was gorgeous. There aren't really any bad things about the movie that I can really think of. The lack of a major villain was a bit disappointing, but the twist at the end more than makes up for it. Obviously I won't say what the twist is, but it most definitely treads the waters of the Horror genre. Also the film isn't really as epic as a TV show-turned-feature length film should be and seemed like it could have been a longer version of a TV episode. Other than that, it was great. Entertaining, great cast, great acting, beautiful Cinematography, great music, nostalgia, and a twist that will satisfy Horror fans. There's also a little something special during the closing credits (with two songs provided by U.N.K.L.E. including a remix of the X-FILES theme) which is kind of cheesy but is still pretty cool to watch.

I've only seen the 1-Disc Version of the DVD so far and the Extra Features are OK. It has a great Commentary track by writer/director Chris Carter and writer Frank Spotnitz. There is also a ten minute Gag Reel, which by the looks of it the cast had a blast making the film. Overall, it's a great film and I would definitely recommend it.

4 stars

EDIT: The 2-Disc Version has the same Extra Features as the 1-Disc version, but the second disc has a feature-length Documentary on the production of the movie that covers everything from the cast, to the filming, to reuniting the cast and crew, and the secrecy of the movie. It's actually really interesting when they talk about how secretive they were during the filming to the point that some of the crew didn't even KNOW they were working on the new X-FILES movie. Another thing that is brought up is how they leaked staged photos of a Werewolf prop on the set to throw people off. Includes interviews with the cast and crew and Behind-the-Scenes footage. I would recommend spending the few extra bucks to get the Special Edition as opposed to the 1-Disc. It's worth it.

This movie was GREAT! I used to watch the show every now and then when it ran on TV, and I saw the first X-Files:Fight the Future as well, but this sequel is excellent. Both Actors have aged gorgeously, and are excellent at their craft. Gillian Anderson is brilliant and was robbed of a Golden Globe nomination. The film gives a little more insight into the character's personal lives which was never seen on the show, but still left you wanting more!

The DVD is great, awesome special features which include a gag reel, an extended version of the film and a documentary on the film just to mention a few. The only thing I would have wanted more of would be of the two leads behind the scenes. I would love to have heard David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson do commentary for the film since they have played the characters for so long. Buy this DVD!

If you were a fan of the series The X-Files, you will surely know that often the scariest things are what you are never shown, and ultimately, sometimes what you can never see because they are within you. This movie speaks to these fears, and at the heart of it all this time around stands Doctor Dana Scully.

X-Files fans everywhere would cheer at the thought, but that being said, if you have never seen the show, this movie still has a lot to offer if you enjoy a movie that gives you action, darkness and romance, without dumbing anything down. This movie does what a lot of other recent entertainment has neglected to do. It lets you think.

Scully, who has always tried to cling to her Catholic faith, has her trust in God challenged and the rock of the foundation of her relationship with her former FBI partner, Fox Mulder, shaken to its core.

Shot in vast, frozen landscapes, with a villian more psychopath and less alien, less paranormal than some might expect, the film plays like a good, old-fashioned, scary movie. There are plenty of 'gross' moments, but, as it has always been in the X-Files, most of it is not thrust in your face, but planted, like a seed of an idea to form in your thoughts as you sit, wide eyed and waiting, to see what happens next.

Chris Carter, creator or the X-Files, gives us here a logical look at where the couple would be at the present time, six years since we last saw them on the small screen. His attempt is well thought out and he remains steadfastly true to the characters and the X-Files universe he created. Mulder and Scully are as beautifully tragic and humanly imperfect as ever. They do not gloss over or deny their past--which would have been a great disservice to loyal fans--and David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson prove they are still capable of bringing their now famous, other-worldly connection to the table. We are treated to the smoldering looks and hints of sexuality that kept the series going all those years, but again Carter trusts us enough to know that this seed, too, grows best in the warm, dark soil of his audiences' minds and hearts.

To catch even just another glimpse of these characters is almost enough to satisfy the show's steadfast fans. Almost, because this dedicated group is known to be largely intelligent and highly opinionated. For this movie to be a success, it needed to stand alone as a story, but pay honest homage to the place and people from which it came. They had to nail it.

They did just that.

I left the movie satisfied, but wanting more. My mind was ticking. It felt like many Sunday nights, once upon a time when I'd hang on until the final "I Made This" that marked the end of the show's credits. (Speaking of which, if you see this movie, you'll probably want to stay until the end of the credits.)

We might never be so lucky as to get a show that nails it week after week quite as well as The X-Files did, but I dare to hope there will be more movies like this to come.

The great thing that the original X-FILES possessed that practically no other TV series had (with the exceptions only of THE NIGHT STALKER, which the creation of THE X-FILES was inspired by, and TWIN PEAKS) was atmosphere, something that is practically impossible to generate on a small television screen. Its presentation of supernatural creepiness hidden beneath 1990s complacency genuinely could get under your skin on a Friday night and convince you that something was not well in the United States (the episodes generally shifted from small city or town from part of the country to another, eventually covering most of the map). The greatest disappointment of this second X-FILES movie, set something like six years after the series ended, is that it has practically no atmosphere whatsoever, even though the director and series creator Chris Carter wisely decided to eschew the series' excessively complex and convoluted "mythology" storyline (involving a ridiculous alien conspiracy) in favor of modeling the film after one of the much better "stand alone" episodes involving supernatural cases. But here the supernatural is reduced to an absolute minimum, involving a defrocked pederastic priest (Billy Connolly) helping the FBI find an agent who has been abducted by what turns out to be a killer with about the most ridiculous plan ever for the FBI agent's body.

The killer's central plan is supposed to be the source for most of the film's thrills and chills, but since so little explanation is given for it and it echoes so many hilariously bad Z-movies (even one infamously mocked on MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000), it's almost impossible to take it very seriously. What we're left with instead is lots of overacting from Gillian Anderson, whose character of Scully has now become a surgeon at a Virginia hospital called Our Lady of Sorrows (subtlety is not this film's strong point) and who is tortured by having to care for a sweetfaced young boy with a rare brain disease. Anderson's great gift in the early episodes of the series was always to suggest Scully was feeling much more than the scripts possibly allowed for her, but once the writers seemed to realize this she was rarely given a director who was capable of reining her in once she got more overtly emotional material; here again she's just too much, and since her subplot is so clichéd you begin to dread the scenes set back in the hospital. With David Duchovny, as stone-faced as ever, and a too-brief cameo by Mitch Pileggi.