The X-Files: I Want to Believe (2008)

As a once-was fan of the iconic and long-running Chris Carter sci-fi series, the announcement that a new X-Files film was en route made a small part of me giggly with excitement. Most of me, though, had moved on, wishing more that Sydney Bristow (from the long-since cancelled Alias) or even just Jack Bauer or the cast of Lost might show up in cinemaplexes. (Heck, I'll take that Arrested Development film any day, Ron Howard.)

So my concerns that perhaps I'd outgrown the paranormal excursions of FBI Agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) stuck with me for the entire runtime of the film. The film picks up a few years after the series concluded, with Mulder & Scully officially retired from the FBI. But when a shady ex-con priest (Billy Connolly, who's occasionally spooky) has a vision of an abducted FBI agent, the Feds call in the original paranormal specialists, and the X-Files are re-opened once more.

The film tries to stand on its own, with only essential information carried over from the original series - Mulder is the believer, Scully the skeptic. But there are brief references peppered throughout the film that novices (and X-Files apostates like myself) will crane their brains to understand. Additionally, a major cast member from the original series makes a brief return near the finish of the film, but only fans of the TV show will find this cast appearance of any merit; others will query why the dramatic music and camera angle.

As someone whose memories of the series were fairly fuzzy, I realized that the film feels a lot like an episode of the series and is paced in much the same way. However, the movie is twice as long as an episode of the television show and at times feels like it. It's as though the filmmakers had only an hour of material and had to pad their script with longing gazes, dramatic panoramic aerial shots, and almost too many retreads of the "I believe/I don't believe" dialogue that X-heads have come to cherish as much as the Cigarette-Smoking Man (who sadly doesn't make an appearance here) loves his smokes.

Duchovny and Anderson (who's decried her difficulty remounting the "unicycle" of her character) step comfortably into their characters like a kicked-in pair of shoes, comfortable and familiar despite showing a few signs of aging. But the performances are strong, the characterizations convincing (if hit home a tad too much), and the chemistry still striking. The best performance, though he's only given a bit to work with, is Connolly's supporting role as Father Joe, the allegedly psychic priest with a damning past. The downturn, though, is that much of Connolly's performance is shrouded in "Is he or isn't he?" ambiguity, which the actor does well to play both sides and never truly give the audience a leg up on any one theory. As "new" agents, Amanda Peet and Xzibit do little more than become a younger Mulder and Scully, and their characterizations are neither convincing nor compelling.

Part of the main problem of the film, though it's an interesting if a bit overlong, is its ambiguity. When done right (Mulholland Drive on film, Watchmen in text), ambiguity can be a thought-provoking technique which keeps the audience thinking long after the credits - or the back cover - fall into place. However, I doubt I'll be thinking about the moral ramifications of some of the film's factors. I had fun watching the film - I enjoyed the film's sci-fi aspect and the gory subplot suitable for the TV series - but it's not something I'd put on my favorites list.

Diehard fans of the TV show, though, will probably love it. For me, I think I'll stick with the other film that opened on July 18, 2008.

Courtesy of the MPAA, The X-Files: I Want to Believe is rated "PG-13 for violent and disturbing content and thematic material." The film is more disturbing than violent (although there's some depiction of unorthodox medical practices), with a few well-crafted kidnapping-centric scenes that recall Demme's The Silence of the Lambs. I'm still at a loss as to what "thematic material" is, so I suppose this refers to the movie having a plot, drama, and suspense.