Plot When a dubious psychic offers to help solve the disappearance of an FBI agent, the bureau reaches out to Dana Scully (Anderson), now a practicing doctor, to enlist the aid of Fox Mulder (Duchovny), still recognised as an expert in supernatural mysteries. The former agents reunite to pursue the case, which raises their long-standing argument about faith and scepticism.
Review The second X Files movie manages one classic exchange. Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson), at once devoutly Catholic and sceptic on all things paranormal, needles self-proclaimed psychic and convicted paedophile Father Joe (Billy Connolly) about whether God hears his prayers. Joe asks, ‘What makes you think he hears yours?’ and Scully snaps, ‘I didn’t bugger thirty-seven altar boys’.
Over a ten-year TV run The X Files established four distinct types of episode – in reverse order of preference: the alien abduction-government conspiracy-family soap opera ‘mythology’ saga; the Silence Of The Lambs-influenced mixes of serial killing with psychic phenomena; monster-of-the-week stories about mutant vampire creatures; and weird satirical efforts which turned the show inside-out. So far, the big-screen X Files have covered the first two types. The original X Files movie, released while the show was still in production, had flying saucers and little green men and evil politicians plotting in dark rooms; I Want To Believe offers agents with big FBI signs on their backs padding through snow and finding severed limbs which produce vital clues (animal tranquiliser!), as the ambiguous, perhaps-sincere, definitely sinister Father Joe offers help that Mulder is inclined to accept and Scully wants to reject.
Coming along six years after the show wound up, writer-director-creator Chris Carter is stuck with all sorts of baggage that casual viewers might have forgotten, which needs to be at least touched on – though newcomers will be bewildered. Scully and Mulder had a baby once, remember? And Scully had terminal cancer but received a miracle cure. And the FBI put Mulder on trial for treason. All this is dealt with in snippets which feel like plot hiccoughs, while the first reel – in which David Duchovny sports a suspect beard and Gillian Anderson is busy with a subplot about a sick child – does all that where-are-they-now and how-to-get- back-in-harness business found in TV movie revivals like The Return Of The Man From UNCLE.
Agents Dakota Whitney (Amanda Peet) and Mosley Drummy (Alvin ‘Xzibit’ Joiner) – who prove Carter hasn’t lost his knack for ‘come again’ character names – are set up as the new generation of X Files sleuths, but get even less to do than the Robert Patrick/Annabeth Gish team who wound down the show. Once M&S are plodding around after a creepy Russian, two-headed dogs and Father Joe’s squirmy backstory, we’re in a more-or-less normal X-File, though the fact that neither are official agents means more suspense since they are free to wander off into trouble without a badge or a gun for protection. Carter does a better job as director than writer – he rehashes at wearisome length arguments about scepticism and belief, which now has more to do with religion than arcana like UFOs, bigfoot or vampires. The lead actors relish the occasional sparks more than the fudge of a relationship which now runs to cuddles and sniffles (remember when sexual tension simmered on the show?) but it’s nice to have them back. Likewise, there’s a familiar, pleasurable chill to be had from icy settings, stalkings, ambiguous supernatural glimpses and the sick, sick answer to the mystery.
Verdict An okay paranormal mystery, with solid work from the regulars – but please Mr Carter, next time, could we have liver-eating mutants or post-modern comedy like the really good episodes of The X Files?
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Average user rating for The X-Files: I Want To Believe
TThe X-Files was quite possibly my favourite programme in the 1990s. The show had me almost daring to believe in the existence of extra-terrestrial beings, and played the government conspiracy card exceptionally well. It was the Outer Limits with added drama, suspense and lead characters. And what lead characters, with the bizzarrly but funkily named Fox Mulder and the sceptical sensible one, Dana Scully (who was probably 50% of the reason why I watched the show if I am being honest. Ok 65%........ Read More
Fight the Future was made out of passion and commitment to a loyal fanbase. I Want To Believe was made souly for the purpose of making money. This movie's budget must have been so low. How can you compaire this trash to Fight The Future. I have been a big fan of the X Files, but now, after watching this, I would rather watch Sex and the City re-runs. How can this get 3 stars??? FUCK?? ... Read More
A solid extended episode had it been released during the show's run but as a movie it's a bit of a thin exercise. The first movie had explosions and aliens - this just has digging in the snow. Not bad, just rather bland. ... Read More
A solid extended episode had it been released during the show's run but as a movie it's a bit of a thin exercise. The first movie had explosions and aliens - this just has digging in the snow. Not bad, just rather bland. ... Read More
How on earth did this story ever get the okay as the second X-files feature?! As stand-alone was the chosen route they went there were so many better story types from the series they could have used. The characters are still great though and despite not having seen much of the series after the first film was released I didn't feel confused. Overall a real let down though. Must do better! ... Read More
I have to agree with the majority here.
I watched it the other day, fresh in at the DVD store and i was excited and thought i would watch it with an open mind.
Overall though it was disappointing. An X Files movie should have had cetain elements and this movie didn't. On the plus side i did like the whole Mulder & Scully relationship and Mulders one liners, but that aside there wasn't that much more to like. The story was weak, Billy Connelys character had prom... Read More
What a letdown.
Supernatural? Unexplained phenomenen? Aliens? Even something odd in the sky? Nope, none of those. It played out like a Michael Bay film without the action, and what was going on between Mulder and Scully? Were they living together or just sleeping together? It looked thrown together in a matter of days and had no relevance whatsover to any of the arcs the show has been so famous for, it wasn't even a decent stand-alone episode. Oh and a supporting cast of Amanda Peet,... Read More
entirely sure what I was expecting… but it was definitely more than I was given. It was just really slow and uneventful, like an extended version of one of the more boring episodes. To start with, the casting left a lot to be desired, Amanda Peet and Xzibit… really?! The plot is centred around a race to find a couple of women that have been kidnapped, but you never really get introduced to either of these characters, so how is the audience supposed to feel empathy or anxiety as the storyline p... Read More
I love the X-Files and was hugely disappointed by the almost unrecognisable Mulder and Scully and the pointless (let's face it) cameo by Skinner. The movie was dull even by the standards of some of the bad X-Files episodes. I liked seeing Mulder and Scully back but, after this, maybe one more mythology wrap-up movie can finally give us closure and bid farewell to a dwindling franchise. ... Read More
I was really looking forward to this film, I am a big fan of the show (owning them all on dvd) and enjoyed the 1st one so I had high hopes. I remember sitting in the cinema at the end thinking...what?? The plot was dull like one of the episodes you would watch once and not bother watching again. It was nice that the film allowed Mulder and Scully to build strong characters but on the whole the film was disappointing. I thought the plot was drawn out and not very well displayed or explained ... Read More
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