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*** Official THE X-FILES: I WANT TO BELIEVE Discussion Thread

post #1 of 57
7/25/08 at 5:39am
Thread Starter 
James Bs review which is very negative. Read at your own risk.....

ReelViews Movie Review
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post #2 of 57
7/25/08 at 5:46am

Re: Second X-Files Movie in 2006 (Now Maybe 2008?)

Buzz on this hasn't been very good, I'm sorry to say, and most reviews today are negative. I still want to see it for myself.

Let's hope this doesn't kill the franchise.
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post #3 of 57
7/25/08 at 5:50am

Re: *** Official THE X-FILES: I WANT TO BELIEVE Discussion Thread

This thread is now designated the Official Discussion Thread for "The X-Files: I Want To Believe". Please, post all comments, links to outside reviews, film and box office discussion items to this thread.

All HTF member film reviews of "The X-Files: I Want To Believe" should be posted to the Official Review Thread.

Thank you for your consideration in this matter.


Crawdaddy
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post #4 of 57
7/25/08 at 7:03am

Re: *** Official THE X-FILES: I WANT TO BELIEVE Discussion Thread

I'm going see this on Saturday. Roger Ebert gave the film 3½ stars, but I have no idea how familiar he is with the series itself. I am still optimistic, however. I purchased the complete series set a few months ago to prepare. I know it's a standalone film, but I'm sure it will be much richer, if you know the backstory of the characters going in. I look forward to seeing the difference in opinion between those who are and those who aren't familiar with the series.
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post #5 of 57
7/25/08 at 7:30am

Re: *** Official THE X-FILES: I WANT TO BELIEVE Discussion Thread

Thats to bad, i had high hopes for this. I started to get worried when i didnt see any buzz, even a week or two ago. Guess i can skip it at the movies, and throw it on the Blu-ray rental pile. Probably will be on disc in 3 months.
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post #6 of 57
7/25/08 at 9:24am

Re: *** Official THE X-FILES: I WANT TO BELIEVE Discussion Thread

Ebert's review makes me want to see it. He's very positive.

The X-Files: I Want to Believe :: rogerebert.com :: Reviews
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post #7 of 57
7/25/08 at 10:17am

Re: *** Official THE X-FILES: I WANT TO BELIEVE Discussion Thread

I saw it last night and as a major X-Files fan, I thought it was good but not great (and nowhere near as bad as the online reviews have said). I will say that I don't think there's much reason for the casual fan or non-fan to see the movie but for the dedicated fan, I'd recommend it just because it's fun seeing Mulder and Scully together again even if it's just an average XF story.

There's lots of in jokes with former prodcuers and directors being used as names of places and Mulder's cell phone.

EDIT: As for continuing the franchise, even if the movie had been amazing, it still wouldn't have done well at the box office with all the competition its facing so this is the end either way. Just look at how little people have been talking about it here. And if you can't even get much interest for an XF movie on the internet, there isn't much hope to interest the average movie goer.
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post #8 of 57
7/25/08 at 10:43am

Re: *** Official THE X-FILES: I WANT TO BELIEVE Discussion Thread

Quote:
Originally Posted by RickER
Thats to bad, i had high hopes for this. I started to get worried when i didnt see any buzz, even a week or two ago. Guess i can skip it at the movies, and throw it on the Blu-ray rental pile. Probably will be on disc in 3 months.

I think both the first film and this one are set for release in December.
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post #9 of 57
7/25/08 at 1:17pm

Re: *** Official THE X-FILES: I WANT TO BELIEVE Discussion Thread

There has been almost no push from the studio on this movie. No one I knows is even aware it is coming out. If they were going to do an X-FILES movie then it should have been and end all-beall, with all the answers we have wanted for years. Just be done with it. Now that will never happen because this turkey will bomb over the weekend.
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post #10 of 57
7/25/08 at 1:45pm

Re: *** Official THE X-FILES: I WANT TO BELIEVE Discussion Thread

I'm surprised by the amount of people who are willing to write this off without seeing it.

I do agree that Fox has been terrible with marketing this one, but I'm looking forward to checking it out tonite.
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post #11 of 57
7/25/08 at 7:13pm

Re: *** Official THE X-FILES: I WANT TO BELIEVE Discussion Thread

Does this new movie make sense without having seen the last few seasons of The X Files? I was a fan and watched S2-S7 avidly. But I quit when Duchovney left the show. So I've no idea how the story ended, if it even did.
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post #12 of 57
7/25/08 at 8:13pm

Re: *** Official THE X-FILES: I WANT TO BELIEVE Discussion Thread

Quote:
Originally Posted by DaveF
Does this new movie make sense without having seen the last few seasons of The X Files? I was a fan and watched S2-S7 avidly. But I quit when Duchovney left the show. So I've no idea how the story ended, if it even did.
Yeah, you'll have no problem following it. Anything that you need to know, they fill in with a few seconds of exposition. The things they really refer to are that Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show)
Mulder and Scully had a son and Scully eventually had to give him up to an adoptive family. And the show ended with Mulder (and to some degree Scully) on the run from the law.
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post #13 of 57
7/26/08 at 5:08am

Re: *** Official THE X-FILES: I WANT TO BELIEVE Discussion Thread

Quote:
Originally Posted by DaveF
Does this new movie make sense without having seen the last few seasons of The X Files? I was a fan and watched S2-S7 avidly. But I quit when Duchovney left the show. So I've no idea how the story ended, if it even did.

Yes, the movie will make sense without having seen the show. As long as you have the most basic knowledge (Mulder and Scully were FBI agents who tried to solve cases involving the paranormal), you will appreciate the movie, which - despite some reviews - is quite good.

Fans will especially appreciate a cameo by Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show)
Mitch Pilleggi as Skinner; something that wasn't even hinted at in the run-up to the movie.


So don't sweat not having followed the show in its later years. Not necessary.
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post #14 of 57
7/26/08 at 7:38am

Re: *** Official THE X-FILES: I WANT TO BELIEVE Discussion Thread

Based on the fact I saw this at a 7:00 show on a Friday night in one of the theater's tiniest auditoriums which was only half full -- this is the last X-Files adventure we are likely to see. It will be lucky to finish third, if not fourth behind "Mama Mia" in its second weekend.

After all was said and done, this one's only for the fans. The uninitiated will be able to follow the plot, but the relationship between Mulder and Scully is at the heart of the film, and it will only be truly felt by the fans. Truth be told, I would have preferred if the film had centered on Werewolves as early "spy photos" suggested.

And did anyone else notice the VERY misleading shots in the TV spots? One was a shot of the capital that looks to be on fire that never appeared in the movie. And another was adding a blue glow to when:

Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show)
Amanda Peet is tossed off the building


I'm all for keeping their secrets, but these shots kinda mislead one into thinking the story is far more epic than it really is.
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post #15 of 57
7/26/08 at 10:50am

Re: *** Official THE X-FILES: I WANT TO BELIEVE Discussion Thread

Quote:
Originally Posted by Chad R
And did anyone else notice the VERY misleading shots in the TV spots?
That's a fair critique but I LOVED that they did that. I'm sick of seeing trailers and commercials that show all the best bits of a movie so seeing misinformation was a nice change of pace (and appropriate since it was The X-Files ).
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post #16 of 57
7/28/08 at 1:35pm

Re: *** Official THE X-FILES: I WANT TO BELIEVE Discussion Thread

Had one day left on my Vacation today so I and about 5 others took in the 11:40 am showing of the X-Files: I Want to Believe. I liked it, it was almost refreshing to see a movie that was'nt all CGI and Explosions. But the story was almost too Low Key and probably would've been stretched thin at a single episode length. I just did'nt understand the motivations of the eventual Baddies, still it proved an interesting mystery. I'm glad the film did'nt center around the "Conspiracy" but I still think a Stronger "Monster of the Week" story could've been Made. Duchovny and Anderson still inhabit Mulder and Scully if not a bit world beaten at this point in their lives. I love Movies made in the Winter and to film this in the Dead of Winter only added to the Atmosphere, and the Film did tackle Belief's both Religious and Spiritual, which the series tackled in depth. But this Movies was not served too well by throwing in as a Summer blockbuster as it is clearly not, and Fox would've been better to have held this for the Fall where it would not have had to compete with the Dark Knight. Alas I fear this is the End for Mulder and Scully's adventures but if so the film left them in a good place.
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post #17 of 57
7/28/08 at 1:42pm

Re: *** Official THE X-FILES: I WANT TO BELIEVE Discussion Thread

$10 Million opening weekend? ouch. Guess they are glad it only cost $40 million to make.
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post #18 of 57
7/28/08 at 1:48pm

Re: *** Official THE X-FILES: I WANT TO BELIEVE Discussion Thread

Agreed the main flaw of the film is the whole human body parts ring is too small potatoes of a "villain". They should've gone with something more dramatic and supernatural IMO.

Also they needed at the beginning to shake the Mulder/Scully relationship up a bit. Don't these people socialize with other people of the opposite sex? Couldn't they introduce a little bit of sexual tension/jealousy? I thought they were going to do that with Amanda Peet's character, but she's really given nothing to do in this movie (as is Xzibit).

Still it was enjoyable once it got started. The Father Joe character is an interesting one, but by the third act the movie dissloves into the generic

"One of the agents (Mulder or Scully) is trapped, having lost their cell phone, by evil nutjobs, the other agent (Scully or Mulder) then has to go rescue them, resolution, Scully is still a sketpic despite some amazing coincidences"

I mean that whole formula is sooooo tired.
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post #19 of 57
7/28/08 at 1:58pm

Re: *** Official THE X-FILES: I WANT TO BELIEVE Discussion Thread

It wasn't as bad as some of the critics have been saying, but I felt it wasn't an appropriate storyline for the X-Files. It was fun see Mulder and Scully again, but the whole film felt like a mediocre episode of Chris Carter's other series, Millennium. So much for 90s nostalgia!
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post #20 of 57
7/28/08 at 4:28pm

Re: *** Official THE X-FILES: I WANT TO BELIEVE Discussion Thread

So did they actually get DD and GA out on a boat to row toward a tropical island in the end credits? Seems like it could have been stand-ins/CGI. It was a quick shot in motion at a distance, so it was hard to tell. And the resolution of even HD will hardly be better.

Of course, it does seem like a good excuse for the principals to start a vacation after shooting in snowy Vancouver.

Quote:
Don't these people socialize with other people of the opposite sex?
They still call each other Mulder and Scully
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post #21 of 57
7/28/08 at 7:51pm

Re: *** Official THE X-FILES: I WANT TO BELIEVE Discussion Thread

Quote:
Originally Posted by Pete-D
Don't these people socialize with other people of the opposite sex?
You don't really see them socialize with people of the same sex either.
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post #22 of 57
7/29/08 at 6:28am

Re: *** Official THE X-FILES: I WANT TO BELIEVE Discussion Thread

I've read were some people are saying that only fans of the show will like this. I was a fan of the show since the first ep and I thought it was awful. I can deal with the fact that this was a stand alone film that focused on the relationship between the Mulder and Scully.

My problem was that the story that they based it around just was not big enough to carry a movie. I don't know if it was the writing or their hearts just were not into it but both seemed to be mailing in their performances for the most part. Skinner's cameo seemed just like that. He really added nothing to the story. It felt like, "Well just throw Skinner in their to make them happy."

To me it seemed like this could have been cut down to a one hour ep. It would have made a not great but decent regular season ep of the X-files and might of even played better.
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post #23 of 57
7/29/08 at 7:10am

Re: *** Official THE X-FILES: I WANT TO BELIEVE Discussion Thread

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dennis Castro
I've read were some people are saying that only fans of the show will like this. I was a fan of the show since the first ep and I thought it was awful. I can deal with the fact that this was a stand alone film that focused on the relationship between the Mulder and Scully.

My problem was that the story that they based it around just was not big enough to carry a movie. I don't know if it was the writing or their hearts just were not into it but both seemed to be mailing in their performances for the most part. Skinner's cameo seemed just like that. He really added nothing to the story. It felt like, "Well just throw Skinner in their to make them happy."

To me it seemed like this could have been cut down to a one hour ep. It would have made a not great but decent regular season ep of the X-files and might of even played better.

I agree that they still could've retained the Mulder and Scully Focus, but built it around a stronger storyline. The Crime that the FBI was researching, did not seem to warrant them bringing back Mulder and Scully, or for that matter, calling off their search for mulder and in effect "Pardoning" him.
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post #24 of 57
7/30/08 at 12:26pm

Re: *** Official THE X-FILES: I WANT TO BELIEVE Discussion Thread

I also felt that this was an "episode". It did in one sense give closure to the series. I was shocked when I saw that Mulder & Scully were living together and not just keeping in touch. I also was hoping for something more of a monster or supernatural story. I kept asking my buddy where the hell is Skinner?
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post #25 of 57
7/30/08 at 1:22pm

Re: *** Official THE X-FILES: I WANT TO BELIEVE Discussion Thread

I'm kinda confused about the whole "living together" thing.

Because at the beginning it seems pretty clear that Mulder/Scully haven't seen each other for a number of years.

Then yes, there's that scene where they are shown in bed together later, but I dunno if that really constitutes "living together", lol.
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post #26 of 57
7/30/08 at 3:19pm

Re: *** Official THE X-FILES: I WANT TO BELIEVE Discussion Thread

I thought it was quite obvious that they had been living together the entire time since the end of the series. That's why Scully says they're people that come home after work now, as opposed to when they were in the FBI.
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post #27 of 57
7/30/08 at 3:54pm

Re: *** Official THE X-FILES: I WANT TO BELIEVE Discussion Thread

I thought they've been a couple since the series ended but they don't live together (Scully seemed surprised by Mulder's office) and they occasionally sneak away to meet each other since Mulder is in hiding.
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post #28 of 57
7/30/08 at 4:25pm

Re: *** Official THE X-FILES: I WANT TO BELIEVE Discussion Thread

Yeah, the office exchange plays like a scene where they haven't seen each other in a while for some reason, but I don't think that's the case. I think they had to find a way to bring non-fans up to speed as far as the end of the series is concerned, which makes it feel like this is their first meeting in a while.

The best evidence that they're living together comes when Scully threatens not to come home if Mulder doesn't back off his pursuit of the case.
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post #29 of 57
7/30/08 at 4:26pm

Re: *** Official THE X-FILES: I WANT TO BELIEVE Discussion Thread

Quote:
Originally Posted by BrettGallman
I thought it was quite obvious that they had been living together the entire time since the end of the series. That's why Scully says they're people that come home after work now, as opposed to when they were in the FBI.

I know she said that, but the way its shown (show don't tell ... the first rule of filmmaking) makes it seem off.

It seems like there's a scene missing there, like

1.) Scully goes to contact Mulder after not having seen him for a while.

2.) They get back together, sleep together, decide to live together ... the latter wasn't explicitly stated on screen though.

I think the idea was they had been apart for a while, got back together at the beginning of the film, agreed from there on to live together, but the events of the mysterious case kept them from each other and that's why Scully threatened to not come back (because she doesn't want any part of that lifestyle anymore).

So they basically ommitted or cut out a scene there where Mulder/Scully agree to live together.
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post #30 of 57
7/30/08 at 4:37pm

Re: *** Official THE X-FILES: I WANT TO BELIEVE Discussion Thread

I agree that it feels like there's a scene missing to explain the M&S relationship. One minute it looks like Scully hasn't seen Mulder in years, and the next they're bed-buddies? I felt like I'd napped briefly and missed something.

Then again, I MAY have napped briefly - this was a messy, barely coherent, and damned dull film. The main story hardly existed and was shockingly pedestrian when the "twist" was revealed. I kept thinking "is this movie ever going anywhere?" but the answer was "no".

Disclaimer: I'm not a big fan. I've barely seen any X-Files - I've watched the first movie, the recent "Revelations" DVD and a few other episodes over the years. I don't think my disenchantment over the flick stems from my lack of intimacy with the series, though. I think it would've seemed just as dull and pointless even if I adored the show...
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