Subject: Review: X Files (1998)

From: Seth Bookey <[email-masked]>
Date: 22 Jul 1998 05:29:07 GMT

X Files: Fight the Future, The (1998)
                                      
Seen 19 June 1998 with Nicole for $8.75 at the Cineplex Odeon Chelsea

There are two kinds of people in this world. Those who are fans of the TV
series The X Files and those who don't get it. But the truth is now out
there. Either category of person is going to be a bit baffled or
disappointed by the film, albeit for different reasons.

The good news is that it's not a bad movie. As action-adventure goes, it
succeeds and it's definitely a smart one. X Files novice Byron points out
that Special Agent Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) is a very perceptive
detective. The rapport with Special Agent Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson)
is deep. So are the paranoia and the conspiracies. So are the colors. That
brings me to my favorite part of the movie. 

Director Rob Bowman finally gets to bring the same exciting filming we see
on the small screen to the big screen. The filming is clearly inspired by
the big screen and forerunning series like David Lynch's *Twin Peaks*. The
films combines the action aspects with deep colors--illuminated bubble
structures agains a night sky and a velvety green cornfield; lights and
shadows in a prehistoric ice cave; the brilliant whites of Antarctica. The
only time the film looks flat is when they film in modern-day North Texas.
Bowman's lens can be undone, and it is--by drab beiges and tans of the
dust bowl.

But the story: Well, as the tagline reveals, "The truth is revealed," but
not all the answers the devoted viewers are expecting. But, some of the
basics of the dragged-out five-year plot is revealed. There *are* aliens,
and those old white guys *are* involved in some muddled conspiracy with
them. Also problematic are some plot issues, like how do two people
stranded in Antarctica suddenly wind up back in DC safe and sound? But,
there is a lot of suspense and a sufficient amount of gore to keep you
interested and cringing for two hours. The special effects are pretty good
(note the black oil taking over the boy in the beginning), but the set
from the big finale looks like every big space-monster movie set we've
been seeing lately.

A lot of regular cast members appear here in their usual demeanor: The
Cigarette-Smoking Man (William B. Davis), Skinner (Mitch Pileggi), The
Well-Manicured Man (John Neville) are all here, but other characters like
Crychek and the Morphing Man (Roy Thinnes) are not here.  There are some
notable additions to the cast--Blythe Danner appears twice as the
investigating Assistant Director Jana Cassidy, Armin Mueller-Stahl is one
of the conspirators, Terry O'Quinn (of Millenium) is an FBI agent, and
Glenn Headly is a barmaid who cuts off Mulder. The most wasted talent here
is probably Martin Landau, as the conspiracy theorist Alvin Kurzweil, who
perfectly good in his limited role of skulking around urine-drenched
alleys talking with Mulder and dropping him some clues.
 
So, the choice is yours. Fans of the show are likely to be seeing this one
day, if not now, on video. I would advise them to see it on the big
screen. But, don't expect a lot of answers about green gel blood and
Mulder's abducted sister. You won't get them.

Best Moment in the Film: Scully and Mulder are at a desert crossroads,
wondering what to do--go left or right. It is a defining moment that
typifies everything about the show and the two agents and their
relationship. 

Written by Chris Carter and Frank Spotnitz, cinematography by Ward
Russell, original music by Mark Snow, production design by Christopher
Nowak, film editing by Stephen Mark.

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Copyright (c) 1998, Seth J. Bookey, New York, NY 10021
[email-masked]; http://www.panix.com/~sethbook

More movie reviews by Seth Bookey, with graphics, can be found at
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