A collection of IWTB reviews for your perusal

[4th Horseman]

I know that none of these will inherently affect a true X-Phile, but in the interest of fairness, this link will give you multiple unbiased reviews of XF2....as you all know, you yourself will be judge and jury, and if necessary executioner....however, when there are common threads amongst so many independent reviews, it makes one wonder where it could have been better...

https://www.movietome.com/movie/344504/the-...p;om_clk=fstabs

4th Horseman

[Guest Laurent.]

Best review so far (along with Roger Ebert's):John Kenneth Muir's review

This critic also has impressive credentials. His other reviews and essays are also worth a look! I'm glad Spotnitz's posted this site on his blog!! This my new favorite genre movie site.. even if he's not very productive (10 000 BC was reviewed two weeks ago... but the critic is a lot better than the movie!).

edit: JKM added this very interesting comment to the review:

I have been reviewing movies for some time now, and I don't think I have ever seen so many critics go after a film in the way they have I WANT TO BELIEVE. The criticisms tend to be not just cruel (and often dumb...) but way off the mark. It makes me think the critics wanted the movie to fail; and that they weren't paying attention to the movie. The reviews for the film tend to strike me as petty.

Worse, it makes me think that the intelligent film criticism is rapidly becoming a thing of the past...

-JKM

[HighPlainsDrifter]

I am beginning to think that the best reviews are from casual viewers of the X-Files in which Roeper himself admits, but on the other hand other reviews i have read are way off hand and just plain idiotic. Laran and I seem to have the same views for this movie due to noticing that old X-Files magic is no longer there. I think the reason for that is the movie is for the non-xphile. This is a movie not a X-File Episode. There shouldnt be any mention of X-Files in the title to begin with. I Want To Believe is a good title due to this movie is about faith. The story itself is reminisant of other X-File episodes but its not part of the X-file caseload. I have to say it was Laran that inspired me to look at this movie as just a viewer not a X-File Fan. As a viewer I now see how clever this movie actually is and the storyline is very unique. Don't get me wrong, there are some flaws but after deep thoughts.........I can't wait to see it again!

[4th Horseman]

I would be very, very careful in subjugating those who harbor different opinions than ourselves as "idiotic" or "clueless about the movie". In the link i provided here, out of 25 independent reviews,20 of them rated the movie as a 50 or less. You would definately have a point if those reviews numbered in the few, say 2 or 3. But, do you think the 80% who rated the movie poorly ALL had some kind of agenda? You are right Joe, yet perhaps, as has been stated, that if the movie is supposed to represent a "stand-alone" viewing, requiring no previous knowledge of the X-Files mythos, then MAYBE? the advertising department should not have had Scully and Mulder's shadows forming a HUGE X!!!. That only leads people to naturally gravitate towards the X-Files and of course they are going to contrast the movie with not only the first movie, but the series as well. So the conumdrum of "lets make this movie as a stand-alone from the X-Files, but lets advertise it as an X-Files movie" failed miserabley...so, you really cant have it both ways and then complain when it is reviewed poorly....

As any actor will tell you, once pigeon-holed, it is virtually impossible to escape. Trying to extricate Duchovny and Anderson from the X-Files saga, being the two main characters that everyone grew up with for 9 seasons, is like trying to seperate Don Adams from the Get Smart series, or Anthony Perkins from his role in Psycho.

It is in fact Perkins that lamented that once Psycho was made, he was ALWAYS remembered and linked to the movie, regardless of how hard he tried to seperate himself...

just my opinion...

4th Horseman

[HighPlainsDrifter]

I dont think that those that have reviewed IWTB has an agenda. I have compliants about the movie myself. There are reviews out there that are what i describe as "way out there" and they miss the whole point. For example i had posted a link to Roeper&Ebert and the guy that was filling in for Ebert, was way off too. I get his point but i think his criteria based on his judgement on this movie...is plain odd. As you know the critics hasnt stop me in seeing this film.