So I finally took a couple hours out my day today and went to see the new X-Files movie, I Want To Believe. Fans of the television series will recognize the title as the caption on the poster that always hung behind Fox Mulder’s desk. Be sure to notice that Mulder’s entire office has been transported to his home. In preparation for seeing this movie, I revisited the original X-Files movie, Fight The Future; you can read my recent post on the original move by clicking HERE. It turns out that this viewing of the original movie was unnecessary as this movie is very much a stand alone film.
Please Be Advised There Are Spoilers In This Review!
Unlike the first movie, I Want To Believe does not involve anything remotely alien, unless you consider two-headed dogs alien. The film does not pick up where either the television series or the movies left off so it is quite accessible to newcomers to the X-Files phenomena. The film on its surface can be taken as one of the filler episodes from the television series. If you go beyond the surface, you have an interesting socio-political debate that is facilitated through the many subplots of the film.
These debates are presented in the form of not too subtle ethics conundrums. The main sci-fi guy in the film, Father Joseph Crissman, played by Billy Connolly, is a convicted pedophile priest who has the unique ability to see victims (alive and dead) of a medical doctor/serial killer. The aforementioned medical doctor/serial killer brings into play the ethics of harvesting organs and medical experimentation on humans. This ethics debate is furthered by Dr. Dana Scully’s use of stem cells as a potential treatment to a condition that has no treatment. Did I mention that Scully works in a Catholic hospital which wanted to ship the untreatable patient to a hospice for palliative care. Throw into the mix the fact that the two main antagonists are not only gay, but married. At times it does seem that this is a debate centered on the Catholic Church and its edicts, practices, preachings, and the Christian gospel.
The performances of David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson are unremarkable. Too often Duchovny seems to be almost grasping the character he made famous, but sadly falls short. Anderson gives her patented blank, puppy dog stare way too often to make the strong doctor figure she supposedly is believable. Amanda Peet and Alvin ‘Xzibit‘ Joiner are the newcomers to this X-Files party. While Peet gives an unremarkable performance, Xzibit is the bright spot as far as performances go. Xzibit, know for his rap and hip hop music, conveys the disbelief and at times anger of his character, Agent Mosley Drummy, making his performance the only memorable one in the film.
The film, for fans of the television show and/or the movie, is worth seeing. If you are wanting any kind of resolution to anything relating to the show, it is not in this movie. If you are not a fan, then you might want to take a pass on this film and catch it on DVD. And again, no aliens!
Popularity: 31% [?]
July 29th, 2008 at 9:59 pm
Rich, I figured as much:) This was bound to be a 2-hour movie, that was just an episode stretched out. I may see this later, like on cable.
And another thing, bad timing on the release, shouldn’t be a summer film.
July 29th, 2008 at 10:22 pm
Rich, this might have been the biggest dud that I have seen lately. I was so disappointed in this movie that it left me wanting to see another film quickly.
July 30th, 2008 at 1:16 pm
Jake - Unless you are a huge fan, it is best to wait for the DVD or cable release! If you are a huge fan, just know it is merely a drawn out episode!
Danny - Was a BIG disappointment! I am surprised this was the way the writers chose to go.