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X-Files 2 - I Want to Believe
2008
The supernatural thriller is a stand-alone story in the tradition of some of the show's most acclaimed and beloved episodes, and takes the always-complicated relationship between Fox Mulder (Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Anderson) in unexpected directions. Mulder continues his unshakable quest for the truth, and Scully, the .. Read more
| Starring | David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, Amanda Peet, Billy Connolly |
|---|---|
| Director | Chris Carter |
| Genres | Thriller |
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X-Files 2 - I Want to Believe
The supernatural thriller is a stand-alone story in the tradition of some of the show's most acclaimed and beloved episodes, and takes the always-complicated relationship between Fox Mulder (Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Anderson) in unexpected directions. Mulder continues his unshakable quest for the truth, and Scully, the passionate, ferociously intelligent physician, remains inextricably tied to Mulder's pursuits.
| Starring | David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, Amanda Peet, Billy Connolly, Callum Keith Rennie, Adam Godley, Mitch Pileggi, Xzibit |
|---|---|
| Director | Chris Carter |
| Studio | 20TH CENTURY FOX HOME ENTERTAINMENT |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 44 mins Blu-ray: 1 hr 44 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Collections | 100 Hot Hits |
| Genres | Thriller |
| Language | DVD: English |
| Released | DVD: 24 Nov 2008 Blu-ray: 24 Nov 2008 Production year: 2008 |
| Format | DVD |
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Critics' reviews
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Rob Bowmans original spin-off movie, made at the height of the TV series popularity in 1998, expanded its... read more on Time Out
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Most helpful member's review
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70 out of 70 people found this review helpful
[Highly rated reviewer]
X MARKS THE SOFT SPOT
First of all, if you are not a fan of the X-Files, save yourself time and money- do not bother with 'I Want To Believe'.
This is, despite the 'anyone can go and watch it' and the self-containment of this- lets be honest- feature length episode, a nostalgic Mulder and Scully fest for those who love and miss them. I loved it, but I daresay it would be not so much fun if not wasted on X-Files newbies or naysayers.
The story is intriguing enough with its twists and turns and hmmms, and is firmly lodged in the 'freak of the week' half of the X-Files world, rather than the lenghty 'Mythology' (Aliens, Conspiracy etc.).
It is nice to see that Duchovny and Anderson have not lost their chemistry and are, despite their very different acting careers, able to reprise their iconic roles as Mulder and Scully respectively so very easily and naturally.
Billy Connolly surprises with his truly creepy performance as a religious man who has fallen from grace, while Amanda Peet also supports very ably as the young FBI agent that calls on good old Foxy for help with a 'spooky' case.
An enjoyable romp through the familiar world of the unknown that will humour loyal fans, but leave the rest of the crowd wondering what all the fuss is/was about.
SEE THIS IF YOU LIKED
* THE X-FILES SERIES (CHEAP SHOT, BUT HEY...)
* I KNOW WHO KILLED ME
* KISS THE GIRLS/ ALONG CAME A SPIDER
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- hunkydomste from Liverpool
- Posted 07 Aug 2008 14:46
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Most recent members' review
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11 out of 12 people found this review helpful
[Highly rated reviewer]
The X Files: I Want to Believe
I’m a sceptic at heart; when people make scientific or supernatural claims I want to see them backed up with evidence rather than take them on faith. In other words I’m a Scully. With this movie though I found myself identifying with Mulder more. I WANT to believe. I want to believe that, after six years, this isn’t really what Chris Carter has come up with for the second X Files movie.
Sadly the evidence suggests otherwise. The main problem with this fundamentally broken movie is that there is no compelling reason for it to be an X Files movie. Mulder (Duchovny) and Scully (Anderson) do little of consequence and neither ever does anything you believe only they would, or could, do. This is a major problem because the entire plot revolves around Mulder (who apparently ended the TV series on the run, under a sentence of death) being invited, through Scully, back to the FBI to help determine whether the information being given by a paedophile priest (Connolly), who claims to be psychic, regarding the disappearance of an FBI agent, can be trusted. Several problems arise from this; first of all are we REALLY supposed to believe that an advanced law enforcement agency like the FBI doesn’t have a: people who are trained to determine whether someone is lying, and for what reasons or b: the most advanced lie detecting technology available? Even if we are supposed to believe this, and assuming that we do, Mulder does nothing more than ask the most basic, common sense, questions of Connolly, declare that he’s inclined to believe him (shock) and stroke his messy beard. And for THAT Mulder gets a clean sheet? The X Files wildest conspiracy theories stretched credibility less.
Leaving aside the fact that the film is wildly unbelievable it simply doesn’t work, and that’s all down to the script by Carter and long time X Files writer Frank Spotnitz. To their credit they try to move Mulder and Scully on in their lives, six years have passed off screen and on, but they do it in the most ham fisted and poorly realised of ways, and only end up muddling the characters and their relationship. That relationship is clearly sexual, but there’s no spark between the characters, none of the snappy sparring dialogue that marked the best episodes of the show. The script is also unclear about how Mulder and Scully live, which means that a moment when Scully says she won’t be coming home falls completely flat, because you were never even sure that they lived together (indeed the idea that they would, with Mulder on the run, makes them seem far less intelligent than they are supposed to be). There are no fleshed out characters here. Billy Connolly’s priest could have been really interesting, but the film never truly delves into the origins of his visions and what they mean and the characters past crimes have little bearing on the plot, a shame because there is plenty of potential there for something truly scary. Instead Carter and Spotnitz content themselves with the thought that they are doing something terribly interesting and groundbreaking merely by not treating this character entirely as a villain. Similarly Amanda Peet and Xzibit are given ciphers to play as the FBI agents who recruit Mulder (why, exactly, is Scully in this movie again?) to the case. Neither ever develops any personality, and neither has a single memorable frame of screen time.
Perhaps worst of all is the terrible sub plot involving Scully’s treatment of a young boy with a terminal brain disease. Not only does it simplify Scully to ludicrous degrees (a supposedly brilliant doctor, preparing to give a presentation on the groundbreaking new treatment she intends to try on her patient researching her case by printing every item that comes up on the google search ‘stem cell treatment’) but it clearly exists solely to make a political point, but sadly Carter and Spotnitz can’t settle on what that point is.
Amid the awfulness there are a few glimmers of light. The reliably excellent Duchovny and Anderson try their hardest and both give remarkable performances given the shocking dialogue, the terrible characterisation and the overwhelming feeling that the whole endeavour is utterly pointless. Billy Connolly is also better than the film deserves, giving a quietly sad performance as a man who has been trying to apologise to God for half his life.
That’s all the good news though, and the bad news just doesn’t stop coming. At $29 million this is a very cheap movie, particularly for the summer, and it looks it. Sets are drab, lack detail, and feel fake, the cinematography is murky, the few effects are cheap and less than special and the supporting cast seems to have been recruited from TV’s worst guest stars. All in all it adds up to something that feels like a barely developed afterthought rather than the revisiting of a much-loved franchise. The X Files is now dead, and it’s a crying shame that this mess of a movie is its epitaph. -
News and features
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Film fans sceptical about X-Files
- 06 Aug 2008
The new X-Files movie has failed to win over cinemagoers in the UK, opening at number four at the box office. David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson return as agents Mulder and Scully in The X-Files: I Want To Believe, which raked in £887,209 during its first three days of release. After stalling at number four, Anderson said its similar performance across the pond was due to the huge hype surrounding The Dark Knight. Speaking to the BBC at the film's premiere in London last week, she said: &q Read more
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