X, I Wanted To Believe

No, it really isn’t that bad. Just not as great as the show was and the film could have been. It could pass for a middle of the pack two-parter of the show. In all of its many components it is classic X Files:

Dark. Check

Mysterious. Check

Plenty of gross medical stuff. Check.

Disturbingly creepy bad guys. Check.

Mulder’s sarcastic wit. Check.

Actually, it was incredibly pleasing in some surprising ways. The series was almost as much about the relationship between the two main characters as it was about the unexplained events. It was one of the great (almost always platonic) friendship/ loves in TV history. And even though they were finally brought together at the end of the show’s run; there was a certain inevitability that the movie would show that they had drifted apart over the intervening years. Well, sorry for the spoiler here, but they take it in almost the opposite direction.

Another great element the show always dealt with was faith, both Mulder’s belief in anything outlandish; as well as Scully’s struggle with her faith in God in spite of her materialistic training. Faith is a big part of this films story and as always it is dealt with in a way that never belittles but always challenges.

The main disappointment (that seems to pervade the story so much as to almost ruin the whole movie), is the completely non-compelling monster of the week. The show has done this archetype before, and in a much better fashion. (One of the best episodes of the series actually, 5X06) Is no one getting sick and tired of the torture-porn, Saw-inspired, gross instead of scary brand of “horror” yet?

In the end, this one is worth at least one viewing for the fans, if only for a couple scenes between Scully and Mulder.