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Fox Mulder: David Duchovny Dana Scully: Gillian Anderson Alvin Kurtzweil: Martin Landau Conrad Strughold: Armin Mueller-Stahl Jana Cassidy: Blythe Danner Director Walter Skinner: Mitch Pileggi Cancer Man: William B. Davis Well-Manicured Man: John Neville Directed by Rob Bowman. Written by Chris Carter and Frank Spotnitz. Running time: 122 minutes. Rated PG-13 (for some intense violence and gore). |
Being an X-Philes myself since the first season, people might think that I would be biased about this review. For those people who have doubts about my critique, you have nothing to fear, as both audiences will be represented. Also for those who are unaware of the term, X-Philes is what the fans of the show refer themselves as like the Trekkers to Star Trek (Evidence of the feud between these two groups).
The X-Files: FTF is a movie that continues the storyline of the previous season, yet it still stands alone as a regular conspiracy/thriller movie for people who do not watch the show, at least that is what Chris Carter tells us. I for one see the movie used only as a promotional device for the television show. For the people who can not relate to the show, will be completely lost. Instead of following the already confusing storyline, people will see it as a regular F/X movie with Oliver Stone conspiracies.
The television show, The X-Files, is a cult hit that features an intelligent FBI Agent named Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) who has decided to devote his life to unsolved cases that were deemed to be called X-Files. The administration decided to partner him with one Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) who uses her scientific background to debunk his theories. Together, the agents have been through numerous government cases and conspiracies that have hidden the truth from the public that Alien Civilizations exist and that we are not alone in this universe. As you can see it is a lot of information to take in and believe while watching this film.
The movie starts with us in "North Texas, 35,000 B.C." with prehistoric men encountering violent and blood hungry predators in a cave. Why they ever wanted to go there is beyond anyone's belief? We then turn to "Present Day: North Texas," where a kid falls into the same cave, and blob-like beings slither into his nose and posses him. What are these creatures? Fans of the show already now the answer as they have made numerous appearances on the show. We eventually learn that the beings are "The original inhabitant of this planet."
In the next scene, we join our heroes, who are now off the X-Files and have joined an anti-terrorism unit. The transfer leads them into an investigation on an exploding building in Dallas. What is eerie is that the aftermath shows us a shot of the building that has an uncanny resemblance to the Oklahoma City bombing.
We then meet Alvin Kurtzweil (Martin Landau), who tells Mulder that the destruction of the building was a cover up. This then leads to several adventures for our dynamic duo, including a trip to Antarctica. Yes you heard me correctly, they go to Antarctica. I wonder how does the Bureau approve two FBI Agents getting tickets to the least inhabitant continent in the world. I guess they don't since it leads them to a FBI Panel that have more interests in their traveling expenses, which they have much of, than the evidence of their case.
The movie does present some of the characters from the television show including the head villain, the Cigarette-Smoking Man (William B. Davis), who also has the nickname Cancer Man. The role is slim as we only get his brief reaction of the situation before he does his trademark act, which you might have guess is putting another cigarette in his mouth. Does he ever stop smoking? More importantly, is he angry of the rising cost for his multi-pack a day habit? Other guest spots include the Well-Manicured Man (John Neville) and Director Walter Skinner (Mitch Pileggi), who makes a spot appearance and utilized poorly in my opinion.
A usual with any X-Files episode, we come out with more questions than answers. What are the Aliens doing here? What is their purpose? What's exactly being covered up? Another trademark that is done well is the mysterious atmosphere that surrounds these two Agents where ever they go. It feels like everyone is in on the joke except them. Mystery trains that go bump in the night to men in suits holding a convention, we see and hear it all, including the ever pop-catch phrase "Trust No One." An ironic statement since they get their information from other people.
Mulder and Scully, never have two fictional characters been more known and revered for hunting conspiracies that no human being can imagine. Mulder and Scully, who only refer to each other by their last names, are the most interesting characters since the TV show "Picket Fences."
Another ungoing event in the show is the question of the romance between Mulder and Scully. Never have fans pleaded with the producers for the two leads to kiss since the TV show, "Moonlighting", with Bruce Willis and Cybill Sheperd. Will Mulder and Scully kiss? If you're dying to know the answer than you are obviously a fan, which means you have already seen the movie. So then I won't answer.
The movie really feels like the television show in movie form. As a fan of the show, I felt it was a regular episode that raised more questions than answer them. The arrangement made me believe that the movie's purpose was to tease more than to answer the plaguing questions that we have been patiently asking for all these years. I am somewhat tired of these looping situations that Mulder and Scully get to and the impending romance that the writers have suggested to us. One of the appealing facets of the show that I enjoyed is that there was only a working relationship between these two. As a fan I give it a B-. As a film itself, the story would be too ridiculous to follow. How do you convince an audience, who has never heard of the show to these wild conspiracies, when it took a couple of seasons for the fans to follow, all in two hours? Obviously this is more of a fan movie than a regular film. If you allow yourself to go with the flow that is on the screen, you will enjoy the action and mystery that surrounds the X-Files. But then it turns out to be a regular summer movie, which would get a C. So, what is my grade? I've decided to go in-between. Grade: C+
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