Film
What's on at the cinema plus reviews of the latest movie and DVD releases
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
-
- John said...
-
Posted on Aug 01 2008 23:37
This film is not a summber block buster so don't go in expecting one. It's a dark, cerebral film that challenges you to think about its themes and its characters.
It's brilliantly acted (Anderson is fantastic) and well worth a trip to the theatre. Be sure to stay until the end of the credits! - Report as inappropriate
-
- XShipper said...
-
Posted on Aug 01 2008 23:27
Hihi, I've seen the movie 11 times. Like I said I LOVE IT! It's still worth watching. Tomorrow I'll go with some non-philes and I'm very looking forward what they're are going to say and think about the movie. :D
PS: I WANNA HAVE A THIRD ONE!!! AND A FOURTH IN 2012! - Report as inappropriate
-
- col said...
- Posted on Aug 01 2008 23:22 just saw the movie, and loved it, it had enough moments in it (and inside jokes) to please a fan, but you didnt have to be a fan to enjoy the movie...the on screen chemistry between the stars is still there, and the story lets you work out who is involved....its a good movie and well worth seeing...or seeing more than once
- Report as inappropriate
-
- Tina said...
- Posted on Aug 01 2008 23:11 Just back from cinema. LOVED IT! Loved the creepy plot, thought GA and DD performance riveting. Very much in the tradition of XF. Brought a first time viewer of XF with me who was well impressed. I'm going again on Monday.
- Report as inappropriate
-
- cantona said...
- Posted on Aug 01 2008 21:49 Wow Gillian Anderson had me in tears both times i saw it day.Seeing it twice i think helps there are so many layers to this film.Thank you to all involved!
- Report as inappropriate
-
- XShipper said...
-
Posted on Aug 01 2008 17:01
Oh, I love I WANT TO BELIEVE. It's a movie about love, belief, thrill and fear and the deeper meaning about what you would do and risk to save the ones you love.
WONDERFUL!!!
Thank you Chris Carter, Frank Spotnitz. David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson you did a fantastic job to bring us Mulder and Scully back - THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! - Report as inappropriate
-
- Melanie said...
- Posted on Aug 01 2008 16:59 The acting in this movie is superb! Gillian Anderson was stunning through the whole film. I've been a fan of this show for years and I was not disappointed at all with this movie. It was scary, dramatic and romantic, everything I was hoping for.
- Report as inappropriate
-
- Leanna said...
- Posted on Aug 01 2008 16:32 Great film! I was lucky enough to go to the premiere and will be going again tonight!
- Report as inappropriate
-
- Hayley said...
- Posted on Aug 01 2008 16:11 Really enjoyed this film. Brilliant photography and the acting was superb. Big thumbs up from me!
- Report as inappropriate
-
- Lisa said...
- Posted on Aug 01 2008 15:26 I have been a fan of the X-Files for years. I saw this at a midnight showing with a friend who hadn't seen much of the show. I think she loved it more than I did as she had no expectations at all. Some casual fans might be expecting aliens and action, but what we get is a tense thriller and an excellent evolution of Mulder and Scully's characters. Billy Connolly is flat compared to Duchovny and Anderson's multi-layered performances. I am going again!
- Report as inappropriate
-
- Ellen said...
- Posted on Jul 30 2008 19:42 Not quite up to expectations. In the efforts of the writer/director to mount a "stand-alone" film accessible to those who hadn't seen the series, he has minimized the complexity and basically created an extended tv episode. As with the last film, we are back in the snow again--as well as a 1950's type religious-affiliated hospital with dark halls and suspicious characters. Gillian Anderson gives a multi-layered performance, but Duchovny doesn't appear that interested and gives a rather superficial portrayal. I saw it on opening weekend, and the theater was only 1/3 full, so box offic prospects are not strong (particularly opening the week after "Dark Knight"--not a brilliant idea!) "X Files" fans will want to see it, but I wish it could have been better.
- Report as inappropriate
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
Most popular on this site
Top Stories
Time Out's 101 Films of the Decade
Ten years, thousands of movies and millions of dollars in international box office, and it all boils down to this
Martin Provost discusses 'Séraphine'
Trevor Johnston talks to the director of 'Séraphine' about bringing a little known French painter back to life
Our verdict on Peter Jackson's The Lovely Bones
Peter Jackson ends a triumphant decade with a sentimental misfire with this lush Alice Sebold adaptation
On the set of Ken Loach's 'Route Irish'
Dave Calhoun meets Ken Loach on the set of his forthcoming Iraq war movie
Stephen Poliakoff discusses 'Glorious 39'
Stephen Poliakoff’s ‘Glorious 39’ is his first film for cinema since ‘Food of Love’ in 1997. Dave Calhoun met him
Is 'Paranormal Activity' the new 'Blair Witch'?
How does a film go from DIY experiment to box-office smash? 'Paranormal Activity' director Oren Peli explains
Steven Soderbergh on 'The Informant!' and 'The Girlfriend Experience'
We talk to Steven Soderbergh about his two forthcoming films: one featuring a porn star, the other a chubby Matt Damon
A gateway to all things 'New Moon'
In anticipation of 'The Twilight Saga: New Moon', Time Out is offering the chance to pick up a limited edition pack with three exclusive magazines and a free poster.
The films that deserve a TV spin-off
With Roland Emmerich suggesting he'd like to make a '2012' TV spin-off, we propose some more movie-to-TV serialisations
Time Out's 50 greatest animated films with commentary by Terry Gilliam
In celebration of the release of Pixar's 'Up' and Wes Anderson's 'Fantastic Mr Fox', read our rundown of fifty classic feature length animations
What do you think?
Post your review now