X-Files: I Want To Believe (20th Century Fox)
Believe It Or Not It Still Works
Ardent fans of the old X-Files television series may be disappointed in the new movie about the famed characters Mulder and Scully. This time out they are not battling extra terrestrials. There is no smoking man or any of the other bizarre characters they encountered on the TV series. Mostly this film is just about these two being themselves he the hunter of information, she the skeptic.
At the start of the film there is an abduction of a female FBI Agent. A defrocked priest, who claims to be psychic, says he can help locate her. The FBI contacts Scully (Gillian Anderson) and asks her to talk Mulder (David Duchovny) into helping them with the case. Mulder is reluctant at first but then he decides to throw himself into it but only if Scully comes along.
Off they go to a location where the snow and ice are deep and the nights are dark and cold. They are met by Agents Whitney (Amanda Peet) and Drummy (Xzibit). Whitney is happy to have the help while Drummy resents the intrusion. All have their doubts about Father Joe (Billy Connolly) until he locates a severed arm in the ice.
Later a second person is abducted in the area and things get more and more tense. By this point Scully has had it with the investigation and wants to leave. Mulder is too involved to go and he begs Scully to stay. She however is treating a young boy with a possibly fatal illness and his care is paramount in her mind.
The film builds to a startling climax and is resolved satisfactorily. It seems to make sense when you are viewing it but upon reflection it all starts to fall apart. Still the film is so much fun you dont really care about the plotholes.
The relationship between Mulder and Scully is the heart of the movie. These two characters, and these two actors, know each other so well they can communicate in a shorthand of sorts by looks and touches. You feel the emotions of the characters and the strong attraction that is there.
There are some surprises in their relationship in this film, at least there were for me. I was not a dedicated follower of the series so the depth of their relationship may have been foreshadowed.
The film is rated PG-13 for profanity and violence.
Director Chris Carter has moved his story and his characters a giant step forward with this film, but whether or not it will satisfy the purists is another matter altogether. Only time will tell on that issue.
I scored X-Files: I Want To Believe a believable 6 out of 10.
