The X-Files: I Want to Believe

[fenchurch]

Hmm. Well, I did enjoy the movie... but I kept finding myself wonder why this was an X-Files movie at all. Don't get me wrong, it was *wonderful* seeing Mulder and Scully again... and I had to work hard to keep myself from cheering out loud when Skinner showed up on the scene (not *nearly* enough Skinner!!). But it felt like a standard one hour episode that had been strrrrrretched into two hours. Rackham commented that it actually seemed a bit like a Season One episode, where the big plotline could have been supernatural in nature, but also easily could have had a more mundane explanation. I have to agree... but it did seem to drag. A lot. It just seems like a curious choice to make in a movie that I'm pretty sure was meant to restart the franchise. I guess I was expecting something a little more lively and intense.

I also discovered that even two and a half years later, I still have a hard time watching cars slide around on the snow. Or crash in the snow. Or roll several times in the snow.

Things I loved:

Mulder/Scully and the relationship they have.

Skinner!!!!!!! (Seriously, there's not enough squee in the world.)

Some of the names that rolled past on Mulder's cellphone.

Things I didn't care for:

Sloooooow and ever-so-slightly boring plot.

Not enough Skinner!

Scully the hospital surgeon dealing with the bureaucracy. Dull, dull, dull. And pointless.

Where's the humor? Any humor. At all.

In short... as I mentioned, I enjoyed it, but I left the theater feeling just a bit puzzled about the point of the movie. Either from a production perspective (trying to build on the franchise to maybe get more movies made) or from an internal perspective of figuring out where it left the characters and why. I really don't think I'll be going to see it again in the theater, which is very disappointing... since I actually saw "Fight the Future" several times that way and I was expecting this one to be at least as rewatchable as that one. I just don't think I'd be able to sit through all the boring bits a second time. I think I'll just wait until the DVD comes out so I can fast forward to the good relationshippy stuff. And Walter Skinner.

Now to start looking at the reaction posts from my flist over the past week...

Comments

[jerusha]

Hee! I've loved reading people's reactions to the movie, and I'm right there with you, particularly on the Skinner part. Why couldn't they have had him in there from the very beginning? I mean, he's still an AD. You'd think that Mulder and Scully coming back to the FBI building would be enough to have him greeting them.

Anyway, I'll stop now, because I made my own post, and you can read it there.

[fenchurche.livejournal.com]

Especially since the other two agents seemed pretty superfluous and, well, kinda dull. I never did figure out whether we were supposed to care that the one agent fell to her death or not. I mean, Mulder didn't seem to. It would have made so much more sense for him to bring them in... and then we could have had the whole team working together again.

[sp23.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I agree with you completely. I liked it but I didn't love it, and if I watch it again at all, it'll be when it comes out on DVD.

And, seriously, NOT ENOUGH SKINNER!

[rusty_halo.livejournal.com]

I saw it at midnight on opening night in Times Square and the 95% fangirl audience did indeed cheer loudly when Skinner appeared. :)

[saifai.livejournal.com]

Well shoot. I think that decides it for me of whether or not I'll just wait until it hits DVD to watch it. They had done a decent job answering questions and closing arcs the last time I was a bit surprised with this one (especially as it was so far removed time wise from the others).

[anirt.livejournal.com]

Where's the humor? Any humor. At all.

Word! Putting your wife's novel (http://www.amazon.com/Beautiful-Wasps-Having-Dori-Carter/dp/B0000C4JBF/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1217933649&sr=8-1) on Mulder & Scully's bedside table does not count.

For me, it was also too gruesome.

But I loved the relationship; it felt just right.