The X-Files: I Want to Believe

It’s been a few years since we last saw our favorite alienated (bad um chik) FBI agents, and much has changed. But with THE X-FILES: I WANT TO BELIEVE, the world learns that we can still get the same old Mulder and Scully we’ve always loved. Built on a much smaller scale than its 1998 theatrical predecessor, the film’s strong and weak points rely on its similarity to the hit television show. Fans of the show will be more than happy to see some familiar characters, but this film will not show outsiders what the big deal was.

It’s been several years since the X-Files unit was shut down and the FBI finds another case with possible paranormal ties. Several young girls have disappeared and a local holy man (Billy Connolly) claims to be having psychic visions that relate to the case. Unable to find a connection, Agent Dakota Whitney (Amanda Peet) turns to the only two people she can think of for help – Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson). As the two are driven further into the case, they must both decide what they really believe and whether they want to return to the work they abandoned all those years ago.

One of the biggest problems with the original film was its lack of individuality. It didn’t serve as an introduction at all; if you weren’t an avid follower of the series, you likely wouldn’t have a clue what was happening. The film was designed as a stand-alone adventure and it certainly is that. There are only a few references to the series in the film, and none that will detract from the actual film. But unfortunately, there isn’t enough to set it apart from a standard cop thriller. The supernatural quotient is second to the recovery of the missing girls. The film is basically an extended episode of the television show. A strong episode to be sure, but nothing that really takes advantage of the filmic format.

Where the film really succeeds are in the scenes with Mulder and Scully. The performers fit back into their characters as if they had never left, and the insatiable charisma and sexual tension remains entirely intact. Anderson is particularly spectacular; her always-compelling Scully kicks up a notch as she balances the case with her day job in a hospital. Anderson could always be relied on to give the series enough pathos and emotion to make it something more; she delivers magnificently here. With each performance, she proves that she is one of the best actresses working today, able to lift any material she’s given. It’s a shame she isn’t seen more often, and the makers of the film should be lauded simply for giving her a vehicle to demonstrate her tremendous abilities.

While the film may not be a major step in the X-Files canon, it’s a more than welcome return. The lack of an ultimately compelling plot, no matter how suspenseful, is more than made up for by Duchovny and Anderson’s memorable performances. The filmmakers have crafted something that relies much more on dramatics than thrills to deliver the final product, and to be even moderately successful is a big achievement. THE X-FILES: I WANT TO BELIEVE is an exciting and entertaining piece of nostalgia, and most fans will be itching to see their favorite agents again.

**1/2/****