Saturday, July 26, 2008

X-Files: I Figured The Truth Out 30 Minutes Into The Movie

I had a lot reseverations about the new X-files movie.  

Realize that as the parent of a picky three year old, I'm actually prevented from seeing many movies until they reach DVD.

So I decided that my loyalty this summer would be to Chris Carter who kept me entertained for more than a decade with "The X-files."  

I finally found an excuse to go the movies by taking a day off for my birthday and ran right out.

I had really tried to keep off of many of the internet sites that might have given spoilers to the movie.  I was shocked that a lot of the rumor sites had nothing on the movie.  Most of the plot details were kept pretty close to the vest.  

Things I did know going into it.
1.  The movie would not be a "mythology" movie.  It would be more like one of the stand alone episodes.
2.  It took place in a lot of snow.
3.  It co-starred Billy Connolly last known to me as Howard Hessman's replacement on "Head of the Class."

As loyal readers to my reviews know, I never give spoilers.  So I'll do my usual vague job reviewing the movie.

A lot of the plot centers around an abduction that "no longer so special agents" Fox Mulder and Dana Scully are called in to investigate.  With the aid of an apparent psychic with a dark past (Connelly) our heros proceed to uncover a "shocking" truth about the abductor's motives.  This truth seems something that author Thomas Harris would have thought about and rejected from "Silence of the Lambs".  In fact, this movie almost tried to be a bad parody of "Lambs".  

The movie tried to put Scully and Mulder's relationship under the microscope but it just left me feeling confused.  I didn't get any clear indication of anything until the end (which felt contrived and -- gasp -- badly acted).  To add insult to injury, stay after the credits and really get confused by something that happens in a rowboat.

Speaking of the credits, I think that they were visually the most stunning portion of the movie.  I loved them!!!!  If the movie would have been composed of the end title shots the movie would have rated high for me.

The return of one of the series regulars about 3/4 through the movie was the high point for me.  (ok, had to throw an "almost spoiler" in there somewhere.  

Maybe it's the decade since the show was last on the air, but a lot of the "shock and awe" that kept me glued to the TV has fizzled in the wake of such shows as "Lost", "Heros", and the newly resurgent (and soon once again dormant) "Doctor Who". The writers of this movie seem to have clung to a once original formula that has been copied so many times that it no longer feels "fresh".

I would have been happier of Fox would have commissioned one of these a year to be shown on TV.  I think that I would have been more than happy with the movie if it had been shown on the small screen.  

Despite this review, I think die hard fans will still like the movie.  There was a lot of stuff (which you had to REALLY pay attention to) that set up future movies.  

Maybe the next one will be better.

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