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Bookmark this pageThe X-Files: I Want to Believe (2008)
Director: Chris Carter
Movie review
From Time Out London
Rob Bowman’s original spin-off movie, made at the height of the TV series’ popularity in 1998, expanded its small-screen format into a spectacular stand-alone feature. This belated follow-up, helmed by series creator Chris Carter, feels like a self-contained TV episode. At its heart is the emotional relationship between ex-FBI paranormal investigators Fox Mulder (David Duchovny), a troubled agnostic who wants to believe, and Dr Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson), a rational sceptic. This humanises the script’s big ideas about faith versus science, but also scales down the events. While fans may welcome this back-to-basics approach, casual viewers expecting another spectacular tale of spaceships and aliens could be disappointed.When a female FBI agent is abducted, Mulder believes the ‘visions’ of psychic priest Father Joe (Billy Connolly) hold the key to the mystery; Scully thinks the ex-paedophile is trying to expiate his past sins. With Father Joe’s help, sundry body parts are found, some containing traces of animal tranquiliser. Organ theft, it seems, may be the motive. This chimes oddly with Scully’s own medical dilemma: she is contemplating painful, experimental stem cell therapy for a young boy with an incurable degenerative disease. On the one hand, a vivisectionist nightmare, on the other, an ethically ambiguous dream of power over death.
In its prime, ‘The X-Files’ tapped in to a zeitgeisty fascination with paranormal phenomena and conspiracy theories. But six years after the show sputtered to a close, Carter, Duchovny and Anderson are going through the motions. Lazy plotting, so-so performances and squandered ideas lead to only one diagnosis: there is no compelling reason to keep this moribund formula on a life-support machine.
Author: Nigel Floyd
Time Out London Issue 1980, July 31 - August 6, 2008
User reviews of this film
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- usman khawaja said...
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Posted on Aug 05 2008 09:48
i did so much want to believe in the following .
scully and mulder are not freaks .
there is no such thing as bias to russians in the west.
that no one will rip off mary shelley's FRANKENSTEIN again as it has been done to nauseating repititive frequency and travesty .
but it is too much to hope as we have another fantasy galore with russian villains ,lot of -oh are u ok -the dialogue from hell -which everyone says till you are so bored you go to sleep but then some badly done SFX and boy are they bad ,wake you up .
it hardly has any thing to like about it with duchovny and anderson both looking old and bored ,
god save the planet from these freaks -we can take care of E-Ts - Report as inappropriate
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- Cailicat said...
- Posted on Aug 04 2008 22:32 This film is amazing. It is a haunting tale told in the style of Hitchcock, set to the thematic elements of love and redemption. For those who wanted nothing but aliens, car chases and mindless explosions, you are most certainly out of luck. This is an intelligent film, a thinking-person's crumpet. Gillian Anderson's performance is a revelation, proving she is one of the top contemporary talents. "I Want To Believe" is a dark, moody film concerning one couple's struggle to reconcile within themselves and each other the opposing forces of science, faith, and philosophy. Two people so consumed by a need to save what has already been lost, seeking relief or redemption for a self-perceived crime or sin, that they nearly destroy the very thing that offers them any solace or comfort in the world. This film is gritty and I believe too real for many people. It holds a mirror up to society and the reflection is not always pleasing. "I Want To Believe" challenges its characters and its audience.
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- Rachel said...
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Posted on Aug 04 2008 11:42
This movie was fantastic. What better way to resurrect the X-files than to focus on the story and it's characters. That's what the show was about. The story itself was thrilling, scary and had me gripped from beginning to end. The development of the relationship between Mulder and Scully was so profound and believable as to not disappoint and I watched it with my husband who was a fan but had not seen the entire series. He loved it and thought Billy Connolly's performance was outstanding.
Go see this movie - you will not be disappointed! - Report as inappropriate
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- laura Vine said...
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Posted on Aug 04 2008 09:50
The film was amazing. i loved every second of it!
ive seen it twice n my friends and i are gonna see it again..and again..and again.
come in XF3!!
xo - Report as inappropriate
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- Sorina said...
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Posted on Aug 03 2008 20:00
To Benji Barnes:
I think you've been watching a different show really, that's why you're so confused.
The X Files rocks! - Report as inappropriate
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- David Jones said...
- Posted on Aug 03 2008 19:50 The critics are wrong. This film is awesome, Just look at the difference between the Time Out and User ratings above to see that.
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- Nia said...
- Posted on Aug 03 2008 01:37 This film is an absolute treat for fans and non-fanst alike, though I'm certain fans will get a lot more out of it. A classy story that doesn't need flashy effects to provide suspense, the true heart of the film lies with its leads, who more than capably remind us of why we fell in love with them the first time round.
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- Djole said...
- Posted on Aug 02 2008 18:30 For an avid fan of the TV series this was an absolute mess. I did not like it NOT because there were no Aliens but because it was so boring and the plot was all over the place. It was so bad that I spent most of the movie wondering if David Duchovny had had Botox !
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- danakscully64 said...
- Posted on Aug 02 2008 17:55 I really liked the film. I've been a fan for more than 10 years and it was nice to see the movie go back to the season 1 and 2 roots. The Mulder-Scully relationship was awesome, the inside-jokes were great, the guest stars (yes, even Amanda Peet and Xzibit) were really good, and the plot was surprising. This movie doesn't rely on special effects like most movie do (too much special effects = lame story line). If Fox had advertised better, the movie would have done better in the box office. I pray for a 3rd movie.
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- Tanya said...
- Posted on Aug 02 2008 16:25 I loved the story and performances- it was a brilliant movie in it's own right, not just as part of the X-Files franchise.
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- Sorina said...
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Posted on Aug 02 2008 04:29
10/10
This is a smart film. Don't go expecting special effects by the tons, explosions, CGI and whatnot because it has none. It's not what one would call a blockbuster summer movie. Instead it's a thinking film, it actually requires the viewers to put the pieces of the puzzle together.
The audience has to think and make up their own minds on what they see - whether they believe or are skeptical, about what's right or wrong and whether the main characters are flawed for believing what they believe in or if it's that very belief that pushes them forward, never giving up.
Give it a chance, you won't regret it.
And STAY THROUGH THE CREDITS - there's a SURPRISE at the end. - Report as inappropriate
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- HAYLEY said...
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Posted on Aug 02 2008 03:08
FABULOUS MOVIE
10/10
Anyone that slates this movie obviously went into the wrong film.
Too many critics are slamming this movie because it isnt about aliens, its about a serial killer. NEWSFLASH - most of the stories on the show were about serial killers!
Fantastic direction and 5* acting acompany a script which is funny, intense, thrilling, romantic and scary. What more de we want?
Dont listen to critics, go and see it for yourself. - Report as inappropriate
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- Luvgillian said...
- Posted on Aug 02 2008 03:04 Loved this movie. A nice thriller, excellent acting and romance. I can't wait for the third movie.
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- Kate said...
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Posted on Aug 02 2008 01:50
The X-Files grows up. This is a character piece, and Duchovny and Anderson are at their very best. Sure, it's got a creep factor, but the story is a love story like no other. And I mean love in its purest form, as well as it's most twisted. The parallels between Scully's story and the main plot leave you with some fairly profound notions. How many summer movies create a debate about redemption and faith while juxtaposing them against the limits of medical science? How far should you go to save a life? Does the end always justify the means?
This is a thinking person's film. If you are looking for explosions and CGI, don't bother. But if you are looking for character development, suspense, humor, a debate about redemption and love, then give this movie a chance. - Report as inappropriate
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- Kirsty said...
- Posted on Aug 02 2008 00:31 This movie is great. End of story!
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Cast & crew
Director: Chris Carter
Cast: David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, Amanda Peet, Billy Connolly, Xzibit, Callum Keith Rennie full cast
Genre(s): Science Fiction
Rated: 15
Duration: 104 mins
UK Release: Aug 1 2008
US Release: Jul 25 2008
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