X-Files: I want to believe
July 26th, 2008
I want to believe in a good X-Files movie.
I want to believe in a good X-Files movie.
Say it with me!
I want to believe in a good X-Files movie.
Unfortunately the truth most certainly is out there and it says that this movie stinks.
Look I wanted an awesome X-Files film, I so badly did and I couldn’t imagine that one could be a bad, even at its worst I imagined maybe a long episode just to check in on Scully and Mulder and see how they’re doing.
Tracey and I like getting our movie watching out of the way first thing up in the morning, generally you avoid the crowds and the kids by doing so. It was a bad sign when we slept in and missed the first showing. But we persevered and thought to ourselves ‘how bad could it be?‘ I mean the Dark Knight is still showing and surely that will get most of the crowds (which it did I might add, sold out again!).
So we show up and take our seats, there’s a fair few people in the cinema, I count three babies (I hate babies at M rated films, it is guaranteed that they will cry), about 90% teenagers and a couple of other couples. Weird mix considering half of the audience probably wasn’t old enough to watch even the first X-Files film.
I have never been able to tolerate particularly restless audiences, they annoy me and disrupt the film. But I completely forgive them this one time because the film made me restless and never before have I been that close to leaving halfway through. Four phones rang and were answered and no one complained or sighed or shooshed, frankly if my phone rang I would have answered it*!
Bad dialogue, stupid plot holes and bad characterisation.
This isn’t the X-Files. When people say that the movie is just like a long episode they are so wrong, no episode was this weak (and they had some poor episodes). The characters are all wrong (except maybe Mulder but I thank Ducovney for that), things aren’t explained and loose ends from the series are not answered. The ending is weak.
It’s just not a good film and it’s a real shame because I doubt we’ll ever get to see them again if this performs the way I expect it will.
Go watch the first season instead!
If you were unlucky enough to see this what did you think?
* no my phone wasn’t on, I’m not one of those people.
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Categories: Movies | Tags: I want to believe, scully and mulder, x files
It’s a first (incl the ST review cause I just read that 2 min. ago) ) that my to-watch list is getting shorter and shorter
Thanks for putting the truth out there.
Arjans last blog post..Miniatures in Rome
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well that’s disapointing. Cos I loves me some X Files. Sigh.
Time to get some box sets of the series methinks.
Bettinas last blog post..For something different……..
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You just described my feelings about the Simpsons movie entirely. Funny how that happened when you were talking about another Fox television property.
MCs last blog post..Week 11: Pageant of the Transmundane
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Did it even have a plot? ‘Cause I can’t discern one from the trailer. Some nice looking, and even enticing shots, but nothing about a plot.
This is going to seriously disappoint my wife, but to brag for a minute, I called this one months ago (though sadly there’s no proof of that).
It’s unfortunate, because I thought it was a good show, but The X-Files have run their course. They could barely sustain the final seasons of the show, and there’s not much else to hope for out of it. Better to let it sit as a fond memory.
Jeffs last blog post..Saving 12% in interest in 10 minutes
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I’d like to offer a different opinion. I thought the movie was very strong. I would even say it was good.
It was never going to be a continuation of the mytharc so I don’t hold unanswered questions against it. It’s moved forward in real time so the M & S of today are not going to be the same and have the same relationship of six years ago. So I was alright with that too.
As far as dialogue, no help from me there. Dialogue has never been Chris Carter’s strong suit.
But I thought the movie paced well. The case had me intrigued and engaged all the way through. It’s true that you really have to pay attention to what Mulder says at the end in order to get the point, but I didn’t think there were any gapping plot holes.
Of course I am rusty and may just have missed them.
To me, it didn’t play like an episode because it was much more realistic than the show ever was-in terms of style and the case it tackled.
Ms last blog post..Go See The X-Files Movie
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Arjan - if you want to see this it is definitely a DVD movie. I’m not saying it isn’t worth watching ever just if I knew then what I know now I wouldn’t have wasted my day.
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Bettina, if you really love the x-files you might be able to overlook the shortcomings of this film, I’m a pretty big fan since day one (I remember the year this came out) and I had a lot of trouble with it.
To be fair you can read M’s comment above that does offer the opinion that it was solid.
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MC - for me the only real problem was that I could care less about a Simpsons film, there was nothing on screen that I hadn’t seen over thirteen years of the show apart of course from seeing Bart naked which frankly wasn’t on my ‘to see’ list.
I really wanted to see a good X-Files film as I think there is a little more gas in the tank for the story.
But there isn’t even a scene with Mulder with gun and torch drawn
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Jeff, it does have a plot to some degree, it’s not really a great one and it’s interwoven with another story that I can’t say was interesting or even helped the main story along.
As I suggested if you are a hard core X-Files fan and able to gloss over even the worst episodes then maybe you can enjoy this.
There was a pretty low budget so maybe it will make enough back to warrant a telemovie to complete the series on a good point.
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M - let me say straight off the bat that I’m happy that you enjoyed the film and I’m not here to pick on anyone’s taste, there’s plenty of ‘bad’ films that I like out there for me to ride a high horse.
That being said I would like to address some of what you’ve said and clarify my position on the film so you don’t think I’m just being negative.
***SPOILERS BELOW***
The plot holes I refer to have more to do with the motivations of pretty much everyone in the film.
After six years Mulder looks at his sister’s photo and decides to go back? The agent requesting him wants him to do what exactly? You don’t dismiss those type of charges for him just to evaluate a psychic.
I know Scully is Catholic and all but really? After all she’s seen? It just seems to be a fair bit out of character, although it may be explained off by the death of her child but I found that to be badly handled as well.
Skinner’s appearance was fairly outlandish and mishandled as well.
I mean I could go on, there are more but honestly it’s a little like dining on ashes for me. These are simply my opinions although:
Two other points though that annoyed me - you don’t learn about stem cell procedures via Google, I don’t care if you do have a manilla folder with stem cell research written on it for everyone in the audience who so far hasn’t noticed she was researching stem cell procedures. I’m no doctor but I’m pretty sure it’s a little more of speciality than Scully has.
No visitor passes when at the FBI, they were always very careful about that on the TV show - I know I’m splitting hairs here
But like I said I’m glad that some people are getting something out of this - I just couldn’t.
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(minor spoilers here too)
Lee, I agree that there were many things wrong with the film. Scully’s a pediatric neurosurgeon? The googleing was absurd. I also wish they didn’t go with the weak and unnecessary Samantha connection.
I, however, enjoyed my Skinner. And while I did think Scully’s reaction to the priest was a bit overwrought, I’m going with it based on a combination of character consistency (Scully’s always been bulldog-ish when it came to children) and out-of-practice actors (I hear those were some of the first scenes they filmed).
There are many reasons to dislike this effort. For me, the emotional resonance and impact puts it over the top. I think it’s a case of overlooking details in order to enjoy the whole. For example, there are a lot of things wrong with the episode “Small Potatoes,” but since the overall effect is so enjoyable, I don’t complain.
For me, the things I went in looking for, I thought were done really well. The things I really didn’t care that much about, I’m putting to the side. I would just hate for Philes out there to dismiss this movie out of hand and miss a chance at coming to terms with the franchise and its creative team. Because until this movie, I sure was bitter.
Ms last blog post..Movie: The X-Files I Want to Believe
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Hi M, thanks for writing back. I just wrote in another post that I’m going to give this another run when it comes to DVD (will probably buy it because I’m a completion freak and I have the series and Fight the Future).
I want to gloss over some of the complaints I have with it because I want it to be enjoyable, something I didn’t say clearly enough is that David Ducovney is as always a joy to watch. I don’t think Skinner’s performance was bad though he was just used badly, he should have been introduced a lot earlier.
The budget of this was only 30 million so I would be more than surprised if it was not to make that back and hopefully a tiny profit which is enough for them to finish the series off with a last film that completes the circle.
It also must be said that this doesn’t look like a low budget film either, they spent their money well.
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