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The X-Files: I Want to Believe

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Since I am here at TIWWA tonight, I thought I should put a topic on the table.

Here it is. Wasn't the latest X-Files movie a great episode of Millennium?! Or perhaps it just had the best elements of both the X-Files and Millennium all roled into one? Very dark, very wierd science tied into legit science, very atmospheric. It really made me feel like I was watching a Millennium episode. When Skully yelled down the phone saying, "Well get me somebody at the FBI that has some balls!" I half expected Frank to show up in the next scene to assist them - I truly thought it would be Lance's cameo. But, alas it was not to be. Would've been cool though. BTW, it was great to have another subtle tie in to another 1013 show in Agent Fossa! Finally, all the shows tied into the same fictional universe. I was very glad to have this wink to the fans!

You guys have probably hashed this one out 100 times over already, but what the hell. What do you think?

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  • Elders (Admins)

Hi Scott!

Yes it was great to have so many 1013 caveats - just like old times! Pity about Frank though.

I know there are many who think otherwise, but I'll go out on a limb; I felt it had many MLM overtones too. Take out M & S and their ongoing issues and plight, and stick in the Millennium Group investigating the disappearance of FBI personal and you wouldn't know any difference.

We have a dedicated forum for this film in the X-Files/1013 forums, but as you were quickly popping in we'll leave this here. Great to chat with you again!

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Hello, mate! Hope you and yours are well! I completely agree that if you just substituted MLM characters, it would have easily been an MLM film. I was so happy to see Harsh

Realm tie in with Agent Fossa. I always felt that HR should be considered part of the same fic universe as the TXF, TLG, and MLM. Feel free to move this thread to the appropriate forum.

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Guest ZeusFaber

Can't say I agree myself. Father Joe's psychic connection and the human head transplant would feel too much of a paranormal case for Frank Black to be investigating, the way I see it.

But I'm with you on enjoying the Harsh Realm in-joke (although I don't think that ties them into the same fictional universe, in and of itself).

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Guest LucyButler2000

Yep, I felt it was pretty much an MillenniuM episode, except for that wanting to reach for the remote feeling as I waited for them to get to the point.

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Guest Laurent.

I'm sorry, but I don't think I understood your post. Can you clarify please?

I really like that discussion, because I think that after the end of Millennium, Spotnitz standalones had some sort of Millennium feel, and so did his short lived Night Stalker remake (which was basically Night Stalker+ X-Files + Millennium + sex appeal... or maybe TXF cover the sex appeal). So it seems logical to me that he would want to bring the same feeling to the new X-Files incarnation.

For me, Millennium and IWTB have a much darker and pessimistic view of the world (but not devoid of hope) and a very intimate tone. But the first seven years of The X-Files were a lot lighter in tone, and the cases they investigated had some sense of marvel to them. The world seemed dangerous, but also mysterious and intriguing. That's definitely not the tone they chose for IWTB.

What are your thoughts?

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Guest ZeusFaber
the first seven years of The X-Files were a lot lighter in tone

I don't think that's exactly the case. The X-Files went through different patches of light and dark, with a constant mixture of tones. For example, Seasons 2, 4 and 8 were quite dark on the whole, while Seasons 6 and 7 were very light, and the remainder somewhere in the middle.

But I do agree that I Want to Believe would match the kind of tone of the 2/4/8 group. So in terms of tonality, I can see the comparisons to Millennium, but in terms of plot and genre, I think the paranormal and "extreme plausibility" elements of the movie are too far removed to simply substitute in Frank Black. This was Mulder and Scully's world -- with psychics, paranormal bonds and fantastical science -- not the world of human depravity, warped psychology and millennial anxiety.

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Greetings all :)

I hope you will forgive me if I derail the current train of thought a little but I thought you guys might be interested in an observation of mine. I happened to thoroughly enjoy the film but as it's rare for anything that comes out of the 1013 universe to really disappoint me I do not, necessarily, consider myself the most objective of reviewers. I had a group of friends come over during the holidays, none of them consider themselves fans of the franchise. Most were only able to recall the odd fact or episode and none could truly say they followed it with any enthusiasm or regularity. One of my friends decided that it would be fun to watch the movie primarily to see if it was the turkey they had heard it made out to be, wonderfully, all of them were in agreement that it was a great film.

Whether it placated the wants and needs of Philedom I truly believe it delivered in its mandate to make a good film as enjoyable to the casual viewer as it was to the hardened fans. None of my friends would have been able to navigate through the mythology of 'Fight the Future', all of them found an immediacy in 'I Want to Believe' that allowed them to kick back and enjoy the story.

Anyone else had a similar experience?

Best wishes,

Eth

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