timothyhayes70

(2013-04-19 02:31:16)

wow!

I saw The X-Files I want to Believe and all I can saw is wow. When theseries first premiered i was hooked by the premise in the trailers andbecame a fan since that first show. I will definitely be buying the DVDbut only because I want the directors commentary where Chris Cartersays " I'm Sorry, I am So Sorry... hey you guys liked the seriesright?" It's not that it is a bad movie, the acting is solid and thestory on its own might be good, if re worked just a bit. The mainproblem i had with the film was, it did'nt feel like watching theX-Files. Sure Mulder was there, and Scully was there in all herunderrated hotty glory. But it just didn't have it for me. There wasone scene of the "creature of the week" at the very end of the moviethat was pretty short lived. And the priest, I don't know, i feel likeit wasn't either fleshed out enough, or it was weak to begin with.Don't get me wrong, Billy Connelly is a wonderful actor, it felt thatthe writers didn't have much to do with the character though and justkind of threw something together. If you see this movie, try not tothink about the reviews and judge it on the merits it holds for you,for me, I was let down a lot. Chris Carter if you happen to read this,I want my $10 back.

(2013-04-18 21:53:12)

Not what I expected. However...

However, that is how life goes. Remember this is not the 1990s, and Mulder & Scully have matured as XF characters. In my opinion, the movie was less about the "X-Files" that developed the M & S relationship, and more about the relationship itself. Ultimately, the characters must face immense decisions about what they believe to be true. From this angle, the film is true to X-Files structure!The times have changed though. I know, it sounds cliche. However, most of the issues the XF tackled in the mid-late 90s were topics of that decade. True to the reality of time, M & S are very different people in the new film. Oddly enough, I think that surprised me. In a few ways, it felt like X-Files on Vacation. I almost wanted to see them go back to Washington, and enter the FBI building again as agents! They do enter the building, but not as agents. Mulder is still searching for the truth; however, he felt awkward and misplaced, without his basement office in the FBI. Scully seemed to have detached herself from Mulder's personal quest...finally practicing medicine! Her own quest is one that made the movie intellectually challenging. "I want to Believe" covers a lot more than the UFO poster of Mulder's. It covers moral and philosophical subjects, that made it such an interesting and fun show to watch. For example, she wants to believe reaching out, and maintaining hope, are worth the risks of trying new methods of healing in her medical practice. The "X-Files" case deals w/a black-market organ transplant operation. Its purpose is to supply a man w/a new body. They could have, in my opinion, should have, gone a lot deeper with the Supernatural Thriller portion the writers described the movie as. It was not unexplained or paranormal in the way I had predicted. However, it holds as a strong movie for issues concerning spirituality, science, relationships, and truth. I give this film 4 generous stars, as it felt like a long, unfinished episode. Nevertheless, I hope it allows a third film, in order to conclude the alien mythology and colonization, before 2012 arrives!

gypsygirl75

(2013-04-13 01:09:57)

Perfect for "shippers" and good as a standalone

I'm a little perplexed at the negative reviews swirling around thismovie. Granted, I am a die-hard fan and went to the movie solely to getclosure on the Mulder/Scully romantic tension building for years, butin watching the movie, I tried to take it in from two perspectives:X-Files devotee and normal person.As a fan, I couldn't have asked for better in-jokes and banter. Themoment the current state of their relationship was made clear in thefilm left me quivering with joy and left me in a state of geek nirvana.Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny's chemistry picked right up whereit left off, with the snappy dialog and scathing looks we all knew andloved. Everything reached satisfying conclusions without being over thetop or taking away from the plot.As an objective viewer (assuming viewers would know the basic infobehind the series, i.e. who Mulder and Scully are and that theyinvestigate the paranormal), I looked at the movie as a standalonesuspense/mystery. The movie opened at a brisk clip and kept going, withcreepiness to spare. The constant, overwhelming presence of blindingsnow lent an aura of disorientation to every scene. It also facilitatedscenes where characters were isolated, not always the most believablething in our cell phone age. Relationship moments between theprotagonists were not over the head of the casual viewer. There werechase scenes and scenes of creepy scientific gore grounded in justenough science fact to make you uneasy at the reality behind the scifi. It was moody and cohesive.So give it a chance.

brokenteeth

(2013-04-12 12:55:19)

Worst Movie on the Planet

i knew it was gonna be bad by the fact that the previews showed nothinginteresting, but this is worse than i expectedit has nothing of witch gave any interest to the series or the firstmovie its more like some kind of hospital drama with no point or plotits boring and i hated it, no monsters no nothing, didn't even have tobe about aliens, but at least SOMETHING, psychic priest? no...seems like they just made a low budget movie to take advantage of allthe x file fanatics that will pay for their next set of vacation billswith their theater tickets.terriblei had to make an account just to counter all the people who gave this a10....a ten!? come oni was hoping mulder would at least die at the end, just end it now

DrPhilmreview

(2013-04-05 03:51:52)

Disappointing Follow Up

This film is a waste of time for people not already familiar with "TheX-Files" and a disappointment to those who are. While Duchovney andAnderson fit comfortably back into their old roles, strangely enoughChris Carter does not. Like an aging Gene Roddenberry, he seems to haveforgotten whet made his hit series popular in the first place. Thisfilm lacks tension, suspense, and when you get right down to it, evenan "X-File". I find it strange that someone who could do so many standalone one hour episodes fails in his second chance to take that samestyle and creativity to the big screen and create an X-Files movie thatlives up to the series. Instead "X-Files: I Want to Believe" is to theseries what "McHale's Navy Joins the Air Force" is to that series.

(2013-04-04 09:40:58)

Is this the end for the X Files? *SPOILERS*

We waited so long and this is the story we got? Well it IS a typical X-files episode. I almost felt like I was sitting in my living room watching another season finale. But for a movie in theater it lacked a little. I think we all expected big bangs and special effects, like in the first movie. This one felt low budget. There are 3 plots going on, Scully and Mulder's relationship, Scully trying to save a little boy, and Mulder helping the FBI to locate a missing agent kidnapped by a modern day Frankenstein. I was glad to see Skinner, I liked his part. I was disappointed to hear Amanda Peat was cast because I can't stand her, but I was pleasantly surprised, in this I actually really liked her! I think she was my favorite character. The role suited her well. She seemed to have the hots for Mulder. I am so disappointed with the direction they took her character toward the end. I didn't like Scully's character all the time, the fact that she pushed Mulder into helping the FBI and then when he did, she told him he better stop or she'll leave him.???? I really didn't like the pedophile character. They make me nauseous. Plus the pedophile was kind of one of the good guys.???? Never in my book! I think this episode was important because we see that they are no longer fugitives, and they are in a solid relationship. Now that we have all that out of the way, in the next movie I would like to see something about their son. Overall I think the movie should have had a better plot and way better special effects. Also the tension needed to be cut with a little humor. It was pretty on the edge of your seat stuff but lacked the X-Files humor I like so much. I hope they make another one, but thanks to the grumbling of the fans we may never see another X-Files.

jemps918

(2013-03-26 23:26:19)

I still liked this movie

Despite lukewarm reviews, nostalgia for the series (and because DavidDuchovny will always have a special place in my heart) brought me tosee The X-Files: I Want to Believe.I still have my ratty, old X-Files Trust No One t-shirt, and so mycuriosity was piqued with the second X-Files movie's seeming optimism,which is why all heavy-handed references to the movie's overarchingtheme of "don't give up" felt staged.Don't get me wrong, I still liked this movie, but what saved it was notChris Carter's directing nor its ludicrous plot but rather, theaudience who still want to believe in Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson)and Fox Mulder (Duchovny) and how two such opposite beings can stillmake things work. It helps that while Duchovny is slowly losing hislooks, he is still oh-so charming with his deadpan humor, while agebecomes Anderson, oddly more beautiful now and she turns in a fineperformance, both in moments of control and weakness.With the X-Files' fan base's sense of ownership, coming out with asecond movie that is meant to be a stand-alone (but not really, becausethe other inferences will be lost on new viewers) could be dangerous toresurrect. But I appreciated how this installment indulged us with amore generous glimpse into the otherwise private lives of Scully andMulder, considering how sparingly their relationship is fleshed out inthe past.

(2013-03-26 03:41:35)

Huh!... Ok, now what?

I have not read the other reviews, and i won't go through he plot. All I can say, is that i was disappointed with this film... I gues i expected to much, and received very little in return from one of my top 5 all time favorite TV series... Even though this had a few moments of thrills and chills is was just too much of a let down for me, and probably other X-File fans as well... I guess I was hopeing for some sort of continuation of the story line after the series ended, but no! Chris Carter gives us this bizarre, seemingly thrown together film with no real way to go. This idea may have work for the small screen, but this film was a bomb on the big screen... Hell, the movie "The Forgotten" with Julianne Moore was more "X-Files" related than this forgettable little screen germ...

(2013-03-10 00:25:33)

i thought it was the real movie

This review is from: The X-Files: I Want to Believe: Reinstated (Amazon Instant Video) i thought it was the real movie... But i will enjoy the cast input about this. I do miss this show and they should have keep going.

mez333

(2013-03-09 11:04:18)

Disappointing

The movie itself was satisfactory but NOT as an X-File movie. The ideais good as your average thriller but unfortunately the whole Scully andMulder atmosphere was not present. There were no elements of thatmysterious what-the-hell-is-going-to-happen-now atmosphere that wasinvolved in the series and especially in the first X-File movie. I must say that it did not meet my expectations (although I had no ideawhat the film was about really) and Scully and Mulder's classiccharacters, as we know them, were weak. In a nut shell I think most fans will be disappointed because thesuspenseful, 'alien theme' was just not there (okay, this wasintentional, but wasn't this the whole point of the X-Files??).

John W Chance

(2013-02-27 18:06:51)

Like Watching a Weak Mid Level 'X-Files' TV Episode

As a movie, this seems more like a weak mid-level episode of the TV'X-Files' expanded to feature length with a larger cast and budget, butwithout all the flashlights! Fox and Mulder are reunited to track down a missing FBI agent with thehelp of a psychic pedophilic Catholic priest. On the plus side, themystery unravels in typical 'X-Files' fashion, and the major focus ison Fox and Scully's relationship and interactions. On the minus side,well, there are too many minuses. The real mystery here is why thisstory required feature film treatment.First, the premise that brings them together is too minor and does notseem very important. It's almost a throwaway, so that their continuedinterest in the case doesn't seem very convincing. Second, we thenexpect something big to happen or be revealed, but it never is. Finallyat the end, when the Frankensteinian body transplant operations areuncovered, we discover that it's only one old man whose head has beentransplanted, supposedly, onto different bodies. Is that all there is?Given the cosmic scale of the first film 'The X-Files: Fight theFuture' (1998), the evil 'conspiracy' that is uncovered does not seemvery consequential in its scope, nor does it convey, as did thestronger TV episodes, any foreboding sense of menace to life on earththe way that a deadly virus, plague, or alien invasion would.Hardly any of the plot points are explained. What we have instead is a'little' film that is really mostly about Mulder and Scully's searchfor faith, belief, and a way to disengage themselves from theirseparate careers that are keeping them apart.We really should judge a film, openly, on its own terms, and not by ourpreconceived ideas, or by what it isn't. Maybe in ten or twenty years,for those who never heard of or saw 'The X-Files' on TV, this film mayfind its audience. But for me, it just played like so many weakepisodes of the television series.I'll give it a four.

(2013-02-27 05:24:22)

Good Crime Movie - Glad To Have Mulder and Scully back together

I've heard from a lot of people that they were disappointed with this movie. I think a lot of people went into it thinking it was going to be the usual X-Files storyline of looking for aliens/government conspiracies. I had read before hand about the movie and went into it knowing that it was more a crime/mystery/suspense movie. I think it would have been too much if they had done another movie based on finding the flying saucer like the first movie. It was nice to see a change of pace and I think if a lot of people would give the movie a chance it would grow on them. All together I liked the storyline, the plots and the characters. I also think it would have done a lot better at the box office if hadn't opened around the same time as some big box office movies (The Dark Knight). I think maybe if it had opened at another time more people would have given it a chance and gone to see it. I'm definitely happy though with the DVD and I hope there will be another movie. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for me and all the other X-Philes wanting another movie.

(2013-02-21 18:33:35)

Excellent! Excellent!

This movie was GREAT! I used to watch the show every now and then when it ran on TV, and I saw the first X-Files:Fight the Future as well, but this sequel is excellent. Both Actors have aged gorgeously, and are excellent at their craft. Gillian Anderson is brilliant and was robbed of a Golden Globe nomination. The film gives a little more insight into the character's personal lives which was never seen on the show, but still left you wanting more! The DVD is great, awesome special features which include a gag reel, an extended version of the film and a documentary on the film just to mention a few. The only thing I would have wanted more of would be of the two leads behind the scenes. I would love to have heard David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson do commentary for the film since they have played the characters for so long. Buy this DVD!

(2013-02-21 01:24:56)

A Plug for both of Chris Carter's big screen efforts

I Want To Believe is a true maturation of the character development of Fox Mulder and Dana Scully as the exceptional people in their fields who were introduced to viewers everywhere in the TV series pilot during the 90's. Some fans found this story disappointing, a filler in the X-Files mythology. What a terrible mis-perception. The transplantation of heads onto alternate bodies is a plot snatched right out of the annals of Classic Science Fiction.I read it first in the Barsoomian adventures of John Carter, Warlord of Mars, by Edgar Rice Burroughs. The episode was titled Chessmen of Mars, The Chessmen of Mars (also available on Amazon Kindle) The Chessmen of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs (w/ Active Table of Contents and Chapter Navigation) [KINDLE EDITION].As a long time Burroughs fan, I'd call this imitation a sincerely gratifying contemporary flattery.Mulder's best quote I can think of from this epic, is near the end of the film, "What if DON'T GIVE UP really is the answer Scully?" [!!!] When I saw this film at the theatre , and Dr. Scully entirely invested herself in the stem cell treatment to save the life of a 10 year old patient, I wanted to stand up and cheer. And while Father Joe's twisted fight to save his soul and that of an Altar boy he molested (now turned body-snatching-transvestite/international-criminal-mastermind), IS a bizarre counter point in true X-Files tradition, I wouldn't miss it.To see all those nurses and nuns, alongside of Dr Scully's fellow physicians watching her, a truly exceptional human being in wonder and hope as she arrives to carry out the impossible surgery, IS to understand how each of us needs to hope. And sometimes a most tenuous thread is the only semblance we're even allowed to grasp.

James H

(2013-02-20 12:46:11)

disappointed

This movie should been a made-for-tv movie because it did not have the formula of the series we all X-Files lovers have come to love. It was missing that excitement that the X-Files always had whether it be aliens or flesh-eating zombies - there was no suspense. That so-called relationship Moulder and Scully had was very pathetic. I just did not see any sparks between them. What happened to that sexual tension they had between them. They did not even seem like they were a couple. Even the kiss at the end was ice cold. I was just very disappointed and glad I went to the discount movies.

Pascal Zinken

(2013-02-19 22:58:47)

Closer to the series than the first film

Years after working together for the FBI Mulder and Scully end upworking together again. A woman is missing and a psychic man seems tohave some ideas on how to find her. So far so good, the plot line laysclose to what the series was all about.The film starts with an assault on a woman in her house and thenswitches over to the investigation. It then leads the way into gettingMulder and Scully on the scene and from there things start rolling.They did a good thing by keeping the distance in time between the filmsand the series intact: this film plays years after the first film andeven longer after the series. That gives room for events happening inbetween and that in turn gives space for story arcs.As it plays on most falls into place rather well and the whole of thefilm feels so close to the series that it really fits in there. That iswhere the weakness is too though: it feels too much like a doublelength episode of the series and too little like a film made forcinema. It could have been a lot worse though and it did make me thinkback of the series and made me want to see that series again.So, 7 out of 10 unsolved cases

cateye-6

(2013-02-11 21:46:10)

What happened?

This series used to be one of my favorite shows. Although, I do stillhave a deep respect for the series I cannot allow myself to say that Ienjoyed this movie.Mulder was very good at bringing his character back to life, butunfortunately I cannot say the same for Scully. She was too strongminded and not enough of a believer for me in this film. There was justno conviction to her character and she irritated me just as much as shedid Mulder. She wasn't even involved with the story. She waspreoccupied with her story of the boy in the hospital and didn'tactually add any insight ,okay okay except the dog tranquilizer note.There was absolutely no chemistry between her and Mulder (I could havesworn I felt some before, in the series *sarcastic voice*) I heard froma friend that you did not have to have watched the series to know whatwas going on or to enjoy this movie. That statement clearly was nottrue. There was no real details into what was going on until the end. Iactually would have turned it off if I wasn't an excited fan of theseries.X files is supposed to deal with government conspiracies,extraterrestrial life and spirituality. There was no real issues inthis movie other than the fact that the Russians had moved theirexperiments (actual pioneering 1950s studies) to the US. Theseexperiments are known already and are not speculation, but horrible,cruel truths that maybe the writers of X-Files thought the world shouldremember or know about. Yeah okay they did touch on spirituality, withthe whole horrible priest stumbling upon these physic powers that mayor may have not been given by god through the thoughts of his formervictim.I really wasn't overly impressed with the story and would have liked tosee some more action with the government hiding aliens in their secretlabs, which to me is far more entertaining. It is always veryinterestingly freaky to wonder what the government is hiding in theircloset.BUT I WOULD have to say that this brings truths to the light for all toknow and be aware of. I am not sure how many people will take the timeto research the information or take it as cheap story. But if it is onething that X-Files does do is keep us wondering. It should at leastspark your interests in order to get up and get reading and educateyourself on all the information around us that we just don't seem totake the time to see.I will close my comment on that positive note, regardless, I am still afan of the truth.

UncleTantra

(2013-02-11 02:32:04)

Waste of a good tinfoil hat

Loathsome. Not even TV quality. Not even *American* TV quality. It could have been an episode of "CSI Wherever," only not aswell-written or acted. Ordinary. Nothing interesting about itwhatsoever. And it *abandoned* everything (what little there was) thatmade the original series interesting.The X-Files were a franchise fast food chain. People got *used* to thefood there. The burgers weren't all that good, the Cokes were flat, butyou knew the formula by heart, and always knew that you'd get a burgerand a Coke. This movie was like walking in, ordering a burger and aCoke, and getting a really bad hot dog (no mustard, no relish, just thehot dog on a stale bun) and a carton of milk with an expiry date fromlast year on it. And as they took your money and gave you your tray,the servers said, "Enjoy your Happy X-Files meal, our patented burgerand a Coke."

brucev13

(2013-02-09 07:14:54)

I could not believe

X-files had been around for years until I discovered it when thenetwork showed reruns of the show. The whole concept of thesupernatural,alien en conspiracy elements totally appealed to me. Andthe way they hooked the viewer in to make you watch the next episodewas extraordinary and certainly not something that was done in othershows at that time. It was new and thrilling. The show was more thanMulder and Scully. Yes,they were essential in making the severalstories work. But there were also the other characters (like Thecigarette smoking man,Walter Skinner,Krycek,The Lone Gunmen) who werejust as important in the franchise. Of course it was logical that amovie would be made. The expectation at that time was that unresolvedmatters would get explained and would give some closure to the show.That movie did not gave the answers the fans craved for. The only thingI can remember from that movie was Mulder and Scully kissing. Thissecond movie doesn't even show an ounce of what the X-files were about.It's more about Mulder and Scully and having faith in what theysupposed to do with their lives. While the movie has it's moments itjust did not have that something extra for me to stay interested. The Xfactor could have been so much more impressive. But in stead they comeup with some subject that does not even seem so unbelievable. As partof the X-files franchise it doesn't offer anything new or interesting.As a stand alone movie it does offer a little mystery. But notsomething that you haven't seen before. For me personally this was awaste of time.

kyrat

(2013-02-08 09:01:15)

Disappointing

I usually don't write reviews if others have already written what Ithink, but I was so disappointed, I had to write add my 2 cents.XFiles was about the darkness and secrets of government agencies, thenin the years between the show and the film.., it was revealed that ourgovernment WAS illegally wiretapping its citizens, it was kidnappingpeople and taking them to other countries, it may not have beenperforming illegal medical procedures but it was performing torture,the upper leaders may not be aliens- but their behavior was inhumane.Dismissing that in a one second joke by showing Bush & Hoover was notquite enough to satisfy me.I was expecting the movie to be about the overall mythology & plot arcof the TV show - the aliens taking over, etc. So I was disappointed,but could have lived if it had been an exceptional thriller with aninteresting "unexplained" phenomenon and an exploration of thecharacters.Dialogue was bad & inconsistent with the characters or the plot.Character development was nothing new. The entire show alreadyestablished that Mulder wanted to believe in ESP. And that Scully hadissues believing in god. Showing Scully fighting organized religion totreat someone medically wasn't very interesting. (we literally justwatched her GOOGLE and then write down notes), her attempts to sway thepriest & board were not interesting/compelling. This could have been aninteresting exploration of a hot topic but was merely boring. Mulder'sissues with belief were not really addressed other than the bad actingof Xzibit (did they just cast him since his name starts with X?)doubting him.Contradictions: Scully & Mulder and shown living separately (Scullysays she's worried about his isolation). Later though they discussingcoming "home" (implying to each other) they don't have a home. Theredoesn't seem to be relationship. I could certainly understand Scully'sline about "why she fell in love with him / why they can't betogether". But showing that they're not together and then making itseem like they were was confusing.Why did they have to make the bad guys Russian if this wasn't about theblack oil/Krycek/Russian gulag/alien storyline. Having Russianexperimenters made me assume this was tied to the other plot line and Ikept trying to figure out the connection. If they had been ANY otherethnicity I would not have been as disappointed. Also, this is prettyminor but it did bug me. The show was always excellent about actuallygetting Russian people to play Russians. The film failed. The doctorwas passable at times, but the rest of the people were unintelligble.Also, they guy they arrested who they said was Russian? Could they nothave given his character a Russian name? (Russian doesn't have a "J"sound so Janko could not be Russian)In these homophobic times, did they really need to make the bad guysgay? Did they really need to tie molestation w/ gayness? Which bringsme to my greatest problem with the film: The main bad guy is trying tosave the life of his lover - but he's stealing WOMEN's bodies?? Thatmakes NO SENSE!!!