Movie Review: “X-Files; I want to believe”…this movie’s worth seeing

Last weeks’ review of “The Dark Knight” started off with the word “wow” and this critic was hoping for more of the same with the release of “X-Files: I Want to Believe.”.

Instead of “wow,” the word “why” comes to mind when describing Chris Carter’s bringing Mulder and Scully back to the big screen. Why did he wait so long to revisit these iconic characters? Why release it in such close proximity to the biggest blockbuster this decade? And why all the hype?

It’s been six years since the End and 10 years have passed since the last “X-Files” movie hit the big screen. So what plausible reason would there be to bring David Duchovny’s Fox Mulder and Gillian Anderson’s Dana Scully back to celluloid? Let’s put it this way—they’re millions of them and they’re all green. There was a huge veil of secrecy surrounding IWTB, so one goes in thinking there would be a reason to hide such a plot. There is one—it stinks.

Mulder has become a recluse after retiring from the agency that always doubted his truths and his life has become as scruffy as the beard he dons on his aged face. The salty one is summoned out of retirement to assist in the case of a missing FBI agent who has been kidnapped in a region of rural West Virginia where bodies and body parts keep showing up in the ice and snow. The reason Mulder’s expertise is required on the case is because he’s worked with several psychics in the past and an ex-pedophile, defrocked priest named Father Joe (Billy Connolly gives the only moving performance here—but he does have some help as his eyes actually bleed at one point) is having psychic visions as to where the body parts, and possibly the killer, lie. Can we say leap of faith? There was no real reason to bring the Fox out of retirement and no legitimate reason for this movie to be in any Cineplex—especially during the smash hit summer to end all summers.

Even more miserable in the reprising of anything is Anderson’s lame acting as Scully. Her performance puts the Z in snooze. In several interviews the low-key redhead said she had a hard time getting back into character after all these years and it shows. The doubting Thomas is now a surgeon at a Catholic hospital and the subplot has her trying to save the life of a young boy. Several scenes follow subdued Scully while she goes through the motions of her seemingly miserable life. Sigh, she’s pulled right back into the thick of things as Mulder asks for her help.

This re-pairing could’ve been celebrated, but their give and take is as tired as Anderson looks. As for the overall chemistry between our sometimes lusty agents—it’s severely lacking. Though they do end up in bed together—it’s not what you think. Darn it! Carter and company could’ve provided us with one scene worth our 10 bucks.

If you’re expecting any special effects—forgedaboutit! In the TV series and first flick there was intense action and a decent amount of CGI to complement stories—it’s tough to even come up with one example here. It looks like filming was done on a series of sound stages with minimal editing (minimal is a word that will frequently grace your mind if you end up taking this in).

Touted as one extended episode that was supposed to bring “X-Files” back to its grisly roots, instead IWTB fails fans, fanboys and would-be fans with its lackluster plot and humdrum dialogue.

“This isn’t my life anymore Mulder—I’m done chasing monsters in the dark,” Scully says. This once terrific twosome has pretty much been done since the turn of the century. Too bad their creator couldn’t let them go (“Hollywood: We love constantly tainting legends”).

Adrienne Mackey is a former Green Valley News staffer and freelance movie reviewer. Hear her talk a lot more about movies on “The KLPX WakeUp Call with Scott Barnett” weekday mornings from 5 to 10 a.m. at 96.1 KLPX.

The Details

1.5/4 Stars

Mystery/Sci-Fi

Run time: 1 hour, 45 minutes.

Rated PG-13 for violent and disturbing content and thematic material.

Starring: David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, Amanda Peet, Billy Connolly.

Written by: Frank Spotnitz, Chris Carter.

Directed by: Chris Carter.