Posted by Undead Johnny on July 26, 2008, 2:21 am, in reply to "X-Files"
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Okay...people are insane. I loved this movie. In fact, if Dark Knight hadn't come out. This would be one of my favorites of the summer so far. No lie. No hyperbole. And I know that probably 99% reading this think I'm an idiot. Because apparently everyone thinks this is a big pile of dog crap.
A site I almost always agree with, Dread Central said this:
"mish-mash of bad plotting and half-baked character arcs that are among the worst seen in a theatrical movie. This film isn’t just under-developed, it’s downright stillborn and (like the final seasons of the show) successfully destroys everything good that came before it. While Mulder and Scully’s first big screen outing tried to be more epic than the series, this one scales it back. Far, far back. So far that it becomes even smaller than the show – both in scale and creativity."
I couldn't disagree more. While maybe not epic, it was very well made, with great shots, great locations, great acting and writing and a really great score. It was a very smart, thoughtful and intelligent jump forward in the series.
No, really. and the key is that it's 100% a character driven piece. The story is cool (and I was very into it) and yeah, when you find out what is REALLY going on, it's really weird and messed up...but ultimately it deals with Mulder and Sculy and all sorts of belief questions and morality.
And no CG. No big explosions. It felt like thrillers of a decade or so again. Movies like Copy Cat, Jennifer 8.
Also, I SO appreciate the fact that it's taking the characters forward. You know...not so long ago sequels used to take place AFTER the orginal film. That's almost unheard of these days unless your film is a "trilogy." Now it's all about remakes, reboots and prequels.
This was taking the show and the characters and thinking, "where are they now?" And an older Chris Carter writing his characters in a more serious, introspective way...yet remaining 100% true to the X-Files. I personally thought this was more true to the X-Files than the first movie (which I also dug.) But again, I know I'm the crazy person for thinking that.
Of the group that went, Salome and her husband seemed to think it was pretty much crap. Holly was disappointed. Tom and I thought it was great.
But everywhere, all I read is bad reviews...and not just bad. Vehemently bad. Angrily bad. I gotta say, I just don't get it. I dug the hell out of it and would see it again in a heartbeat.
I quoted a bad review above...here's pieces of Roger Ebert's 3 1/2 star review which I agree with 100%
"What I appreciated about "The X-Files: I Want to Believe" was that it involved actual questions of morality, just as "The Dark Knight" does. It's not simply about good and evil but about choices....The movie lacks a single explosion. It has firearms, but nobody is shot. The special effects would have been possible in the era of "Frankenstein." Lots of stunt people were used. I had the sensation of looking at real people in real spaces, not motion-capture in CGI spaces. There was a tangible quality to the film that made the suspense more effective because it involved the physical world...The movie is insidious. It involves evil on not one level but two."
Anyway, I just felt the need to defend the movie just a bit as everyone seems to be beating the crap out of it.
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