The X-Files: I Want To Believe (2008) Review

The X-Files: I Want To Believe
Directed by: Chris Carter
Starring: David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, Amanda Peet, Billy Connolly, Xzibit (!!!), Mitch Pileggi, Callum Keith Rennie

Duchovny and Anderson back as Mulder and Scully, in a disappointing effort that took too much time (6 years after the last episode of the show was filmed) to make any impact whatsoever. The review is pretty much 100% clear to those unfortunate souls who have seen the film already.

+
Duchovny and Anderson give very good performances
Mulder-Scully relationship (mostly)
Skinner's cameo is very cool, although it is only a cameo (especially the cuddling Mulder/Skinner scene which was simply hilarious)
Billy Connolly was solid
It does feel like a very early episode; I liked the dark, snowy atmosphere

-
- completely uninteresting supporting characters, apart from Connolly's Father Joe, who was at the end a missed opportunity as well. I was worried about Xzibit but in the end he had practically nothing to do, just stand still and look tough. I'm still not sure if that's a good thing or not.
- cheaply shot, with many scenes lacking any tension whatsoever (SPOILER - Amanda Peet's death scene seemed like it came out from a cheap slasher film)
- horrible last act, with a weak and dull climax (Scully waves with a tree and we're done... well that was exciting) and a cheap Hollywood cliche to cover it all up (so Mulder's car goes round and round for about 5 times and falls off a cliff, but our hero gets out with a scratch on the face and nothing more)
- X-File was so painfully uninteresting it almost ruined the whole experience
- Mulder/Scully relationship did seem a bit sappy at times („that's why I fell in love with you“ was cheesy as hell, not to mention it came out of the blue). I dislike that they went the way of teary, sappy season 8/9 Scully in the film.
- many themes that tried to be explored (religion and faith vs. science) mostly seemed like it scratched the surface, asking questions but not delving deeply into any of them. The whole movie actually seemed like collection of ideas and „messages“ that went nowhere (what comes to mind is the homosexual angle which came out of nowhere and served nothing)
- boring villain (the film does mention Luther Lee Boggs and Gerald Schnauz – remember when the franchise had some unforgettable villains... ah, the nostalgia... better not to think of the series because the impression of the film could get even lower)
- Mulder as a character was wasted... Not to mention the fact that he turned into a „damsel in distress“ in the last act of the film and his IQ was suddenly about 5 times lower in it (I laughed when he waved with that hammer)... One of those „ideas“ that served nothing is when they mentioned his sister twice and his alleged obsession with it in the first 30 minutes or so, but of course never to be touched or heard again afterwards
- Mark Snow's music was mostly forgettable and unimpressive (I'm saying mostly... there were a couple of nice tunes here and there)
- what I did miss probably the most was the fact we never see Mulder and Scully investigating together. On the case they are practically apart the whole time, we never see them scouting a crime scene or doing an interrogation scene (I don't count that father Joe scene with its forced dialogue where Scully immediately and unnaturally goes berserk on the guy)

OK enough... I really did enjoy some Mulder/Scully scenes and it was great to see them back together, but six years of work and we get this? This goes on the level of a below-average episode (since it felt like a TV episode the whole time)... something like „Chinga“ or „Unrequited“ or „Roland“.

4/10