Subject: Review: X Files (1998)

From: "Christopher Null" <[email-masked]>
Date: 8 Jul 1998 05:03:47 GMT

.                       THE X FILES: FIGHT THE FUTURE
                      A film review by Christopher Null
                       Copyright 1998 Christopher Null

     Little more than an expensive, flashy, and painfully drawn-out season
finale, THE X FILES: FIGHT THE FUTURE has little chance to draw any new fans
to the TV show, if this is the best that can be done.

     The movie opens with Agents Mulder (Duchovny) and Scully (Anderson)
finding themselves on a new assignment after the closing of the X-files.  Of
course, through a bizarre coincidence, their very first assignment leads
them to uncover a conspiracy involving the hiding of bodies of some would-be
aliens.  The plot turns alternately confusing and ridiculous after that.

     It's surprising that a TV show which leaves so much to the imagination
does so little for it in feature film version.  At two hours, X FILES is
really pretty boring.  I found myself falling asleep in the especially dull
first half, only to be revived later by one thing after another that *JUST
DIDN'T MAKE ANY SENSE!*

     For example, if the bad guys went to so much trouble to *blow up a
building* in order to hide four bodies, why were the bodies recovered in
perfect condition?  Why does the road the agents follow on gut instinct
alone lead directly to the bad guys?  Why did a bee wait 24 hours in
Scully's coat before stinging her?  Why does the Syndicate want to destroy
the world - and if it has the power (imminently displayed in the film), then
why don't they just do it!?  Then again, if a vaccine to this destruction
exists (again, displayed in the film), then why don't the good guys just
release *that* into the world?

     Well, you won't find any answers to questions like these in the film. 
In fact, the movie goes a long way toward undoing the mysteries that the TV
show has built up over the last five years.  If this is a portent for the
way things are going to go next season, I'm not sure I'm interested.

     Still, I am a fan, and there's enough juice to sustain a fan's interest
for awhile.  It ain't much, but watching Scully and Mulder inch closer
romantically, and seeing some cool special effects is worth the price of
admission.

     Okay, a matinee.

     (Recommended only for fans of the show; casual viewers needn't bother.)

RATING:  ***

|------------------------------|
 \ ***** Perfection             \
  \ **** Good, memorable film    \
   \ *** Average, hits and misses \
    \ ** Sub-par on many levels    \
     \ * Unquestionably awful       \
      |------------------------------|

MPAA Rating: PG-13

Director: Rob Bowman
Producer: Chris Carter, Daniel Sackheim
Writer: Chris Carter
Starring: David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, Martin Landau, Blythe Danner,
Armin Meuller-Stahl

http://www.xfilesmovie.com

-Christopher Null  /  [email-masked]  /  Writer-Producer  / 
http://www.filmcritic.com