Shawn's X-Files I Want to Believe Review

2008 Movie # 74 - X-Files I Want to Believe

I'm a huge X-Files fan. I own every season on DVD in their original collector edition forms. I own the first movie as well. I watched the show while it was airing starting with season 3 and straight through until the very end. Hell I even support the majority of the later episodes, except kind of season 9. So needless to say I was one of those people who was pumped as shit at the idea of a second movie after all this time. After what seemed like forever and tons of talk that lead to nothing, a new movie is in theatres so I checked it out on opening weekend. Sadly I have to say that it was definitely not worth the wait.

People are going to be very divided on this movie, in fact it seems like they already are. Both fans and non-fans alike are split pretty down the middle with their thoughts on this movie. I went along to see it with a non-fan so that helped add a different perspective on things. Eerily enough in the end, she ended up enjoying the movie more than I did I think.

I certainly didn't hate the movie. I enjoyed it for the most part, I just wanted it to be so much more than it actually was in the end. The story was primarily character based, with the emphasis being put on Mulder and Scully's relationship after the show has ended. It also deals heavily with Mulder trying to believe and faith and all the usual things that the show heavily focused on. The problem is that all of it feels a little blah. I was never that invested. It was great at first to see the characters back together, especially on the big screen. But then they just didn't seem to do a whole lot.

The movie is done in the style of one of the standalone story episodes of the show, however it's done as one of the weaker standalone story episodes. In fact I can easily name about 30 or more stand alone shows that are much better than this movie. It almost feels scaled down from the TV show. The movie is definitely a slow burn, teasing the audience with what is actually going on and I'll admit that I was interested in what was happening. However when you finally find out what actually is happening it's kind of like "wow thats it? seriously? thats all we get after all of that waiting....maybe fuck you x-files movie".

Not only that but there is literally no climax in this movie. It builds and builds and builds and then ...nothing. There is also another subplot involving Scully and one of her patients (a subplot I was never that invested in really) that builds and builds and builds and once again....nothing. I usually don't have a problem with open endings but come the fuck on now. To do it once was one thing but to pull that shit on me twice in the span of like 10 minutes? That's just flat out cruel.

I really do find it hard to believe that after this long of a break after the show, this was really the best they could come up with for the new movie. I was expecting the same creepiness and kick assness from the first few seasons of the show, when it was in full out classic mode. Instead I got a decent thriller that had it not featured these characters, would have a direct to DVD movie I would have most likely never watched. It ain't bad, but wow it pains me to think about how much better it could have been.

** 1/2 /5