Movie Review: The X-Files 2 - I Want To Believe

The short of it: 4 out of 8 Nations

The long of it: The X-Files 2: I Want To Believe was neither as bad as the reviews said it was, nor as great as the show was at its peak.

What it was basically, was a 2 hour long movie that could have just as well been a TV special. In fact, it felt like an episode from early on in the series' run before they hit their stride. The movie really did not add to or resolve any of the mythology involved with the show. And neither did it deliver the supernatural thrill that was as much of the show's trademark as its mythology was.

That last point was probably the biggest problem with the movie - I did not mind not having aliens or having it too mythology heavy - but it would have been nice to have had a balls out supernatural thrill. I guess at least one of the main themes was an X-Files one at its core, as it dealt with Scully's Catholic faith vis-à-vis her "logical" tendencies because of her scientific and medical training. This is something that the show dealt with in spades so this was not a giant U-turn for the characters or anything (which is good).

Nevertheless, the show broached that juxtaposition of Scully's so well through the years, and they did it against a paranormal/supernatural backdrop; so in short, every X-Files fan KNOWS it could be done and done well. And it's that fact which makes the movie a disappointment in that regard.

Still, I had fun watching the movie. I saw it with the Big D and his wife, the Anaghater, who is the biggest X-Phile. AND, Danny J was able to take time out from his busy family schedule and watch it with us as well - besides being a big X-Phile, he is the man who suggested I should watch X-Files many moons ago when we were in college, so it felt like full circle.

And finally, it was nice to see Mulder and Scully back together, with their chemistry still intact. Scully is still the perfect foil for Mulder's one-liners and it reminded you of how great that show was at its peak. In the words of Jay Landsman from The Wire: "When you were good, you were the best we had".