IWTB Reviewed by ZeusFaber

[Guest ZeusFaber]

The X-Files: I Want to Believe (104 mins)

Directed by: Chris Carter

Starring: David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, Amanda Peet, Billy Connolly, Alvin Joiner

From the opening six-note whistle through to the easter egg in the end credits, The X-Files: I Want to Believe feels like coming home. Not only are we coming home to two of the finest old friends in Mulder and Scully, but we are coming home to the unique atmosphere of Vancouver and the signature style and sensibilities that made the series so great. As a long-time, die-hard fan, I felt this sang to me with its affectionate references and attention to familiar details, but as a movie-goer, I also found this to be a satisfying thriller offering a self-contained story with something to say.

On the one hand we have the severed limbs in the snow, which presents a mystery which keeps you guessing and doesn’t tip its hand too soon, while we also have Father Joe and his questionable psychic visions which give us our healthy supernatural dosage right from the start. Billy Connolly does very well to create a complex character that never once descends into overblown histrionics and always stays believably human in spite of his special sight. Like the mystery of the missing women and stray body parts, Father Joe keeps you guessing until and beyond his last scene, with his uncanny knack for finding the right spot and his horrific weeping of blood having us all but convinced, yet his nefarious background keeping a constant suspicion in mind that he may yet be revealed as duplicitous with the Russian surgeons and luring Mulder and Scully out as the all too literal last piece of their puzzle. I only wish we could have had one final scene with him, rather than having his death occur off-screen. Amanda Peet’s ASAC Whitney and Xaibit’s Agent Drummy also prove solid supporting players.

Even in such great company, Mulder and Scully are still very much the stars of this show. They’ve lost none of their charm or chemistry, and watching them step into the same room for the first time in six years (for us, not for them, of course) is a joy. Mulder’s new bearded face was shown in a TV spot, but the camera treats the reveal in such a way as to preserve the impact regardless, and the following exchanges between he and Scully are just as we remember them. The pencils in the ceiling are just one of many delightful winks to existing fans, but never once do they feel indulgent. I think all fans will be pleased to see they’ve stayed together since the end of the series, eliminating any whispering concerns about an estrangement scenario, and the manner in which Mulder’s status as a wanted man is addressed without being dwelt upon deftly satisfies continuity without confusing casual viewers. I enjoyed every moment of the pair’s provisional return to the FBI fold, with only one exception – the shot of George W. Bush’s photo accompanied by the theme whistle, which was just a touch too far over the fine line which separates irony and cheese (although it got good laughs from the audience). Conversely, Mulder’s familiar dry witticisms all hit their mark wonderfully, and David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson put in their usual assured performances. Anderson is particular impressive, really shining when she comes to confront Father Joe in one highly-charged scene.

It could be argued, and not unreasonably, that the pacing of the larger storyline takes its time, but the meagre $30m budget has to be considered, and this is a movie that neither wants to be, nor can afford to be, an action-packed romp filled with explosive sturm und drang. Its pallet is more one of character journeys, emotional depth and intellectual questions. One of the movies trailed with my viewing was another franchise film, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor , which seems to be everything this movie isn’t – paint-by-numbers Hollywood that sticks to the pre-packed popcorn formula of CGI armies multiplied by green-screen landscape plus action hero divided by corny quip. Crank the handle and your blockbuster pops out the other end. The X-Files: I Want to Believe is a different kind of movie, and for the price of my ticket, the superior, with its own visual treats. The snowy Vancouver hills are gloriously shot – a genuine, physical landscape that you can practically touch from your seat. I can’t tell if the multitude of shots filled with falling snow over the backs of the actors are achieved with snow-machines or if those were the actual conditions for filming, but it all looks great and is quite a feat of cinematography. With the expansive line of FBI agents searching through the ice, Father Joe looking to the heavens with bleeding eyes, and the letterbox captivity point-of-view angles (which never resorts to the torture-porn tactics of the likes of Hostel), we have plenty of memorable and iconic images thanks to Chris Carter’s masterful direction which seems to squeeze every penny onto the screen. Intercutting the opening scenes is a surprising yet refreshing tactic, and the same device does well to heighten the tension during Drummy’s search of Janke’s flat while Mulder and Whitney chase him down, culminating in an unexpected early demise for the least popular girl at the FBI, and the discovery of the severed head in the transplant bag. Delicious.

The weaker elements of the film perhaps lie with Scully’s subplot as she struggles with the ethical question of what is best for Christian. Although this has a laudable thematic resonance on both the medical level and the "don’t give up" message, along with huge emotional heart, it is perhaps given a little too much weight, and takes Scully away from Mulder once too often. It might have been preferable to have the pair side by side as they approach the climax at the villains’ hideout, but then again that might have robbed us of a more-than-welcome appearance from everyone’s favourite Assistant Director – Walter Skinner. His role was hinted at by another TV spot, but again, his entrance doesn’t elicit any less of a cheer. It’s more of a cameo than anything, but it’s a wonderful one. As he and Scully come to Mulder’s aid (in a neat inversion of the final act of Fight the Future), things are perhaps wrapped up a little too quickly, denying us a better look at the Frankenstein’s monster-like man, but with almost an hour’s worth of material on the cutting room floor to get this down to the studio’s preferred length, I imagine there could be some extra material here which could make it onto the rumoured extended DVD cut and beef up the dénouement. As is true of the movie as a whole, it is the final emotional payoff between Mulder and Scully which works better, with a touching underscore from the great Mark Snow as the couple share their fourth on-screen kiss of the franchise (fifth if you count the fantasy world of "Triangle").

Overall, this is a perfectly satisfying standalone movie that’s real joy is in revisiting Mulder and Scully and watching as they struggle to reconcile the desire for a peaceful relationship and the drive not to give up on their fundamental beliefs and the people that need their help. It’s also a real tour through X-Files lore (just try and count all the familiar faces amongst the cast!), but it’s one that runs as an undercurrent to the story rather than flooding it. To stick with the water metaphor, the final easter egg is a fun final treat, although I’m still undecided on its deeper symbolism (could it be an homage to "One Breath", representing Scully’s mortality now piloted by Mulder? A wink to "Duane Barry" and the infamous red speedo? A reference to the "shippers" made literal? All or none of the above?) To its credit, the movie also leaves you wanting more, which is why I’m certainly going for a second viewing, not just to see it again, but to do everything I can to encourage the chances of the studio bankrolling a third movie. Could that be a possibility? Let’s just say I want to believe.

[4th Horseman]

ZF...hope spring eternal...it better kick some serious %#@ in the overseas market

4th Horseman

[HighPlainsDrifter]

Hey Zeus, great review. I see eye to eye with almost everything you wrote about. I know we all have our won opinion and feelings but for some reason when i viewed the movie....I didnt feel the magic of the series it once had. When i think about it deeper, maybe it shouldnt.

[Guest ZeusFaber]

4th -- apparently its at a cumulative international total of $22m so far, which when added to the $17m domestic gross takes us to a profitable $39m. Hopefully it can continue to build on that.

Joe -- I'm not sure there's much mileage in comparing the "feel" of the movie to the feel series, given the six year interregnum. I think they're best viewed as two different entities.

[Guest Laurent.]

Amazing review Zeus! Very well written! I'm also happy to see that you like the film!!

[4th Horseman]

Yes ZF my friend...i do see that the total take is around $39 million....a small profit, but profit none the less...it will probably get a bit larger, although i think the inital hysteria over its release is now over and here at 11.50 a pop i dont plan on seeing the movie more than one time...perhaps there is still a flickering of possibility yet for a 3rd movie...

https://www.the-numbers.com/movies/2008/XFIL2.php

4th Horseman

[Guest Laurent.]

There are still a few countries where the movie has not been released yet. Mostly in South America I think, although I don't know what kind of market XF can expect to get there.

[Guest ZeusFaber]

Amazing review Zeus! Very well written! I'm also happy to see that you like the film!!

Thanks! And you're right, it is yet to open in some countries, notably Japan, which has a reasonable fan following, if I'm not mistaken.

[Guest betweenthelines]

I enjoyed every moment of the pair’s provisional return to the FBI fold, with only one exception – the shot of George W. Bush’s photo accompanied by the theme whistle, which was just a touch too far over the fine line which separates irony and cheese (although it got good laughs from the audience)

While I laughed at the joke, that scene could have been cut from the movie. I don't know if I've said this before, but Mulder and Scully were still in the FBI when President Bush entered office. Surely they would've seen a photo of him in Skinner's office and/or walking down the halls of the FBI building. Also . . . George W. Bush's second term is almost up. Eventually the joke is going to be outdated. So yeah, it was good for a quick laugh but nothing that I needed to see.

Edited August 6, 2008 by betweenthelines

[Guest Laurent.]

Duchovny said he thought it was a cheap laugh... and he's right.

Although it may not be an attack at the president himself, but at the entire politic of fear and paranoia (which is why Hoover was also in the joke). With that in mind, I guess it had its place, it's the only hint of the old X-Files' distrust mentality in the movie. It could have been a little less obvious though... the whistling theme was a bit too much. Mulder's look was funny enough and more fitting with the overall atmosphere, I think.