imagemap

X FILES


(See explanation)

Isaak Koh
Directed by Rob Bowman Cast: David Duchovny (Agent Fox Mulder) Gillian Anderson (Agent Dana Scully) Martin Landau (Dr. Alvin Kurtzweil) Armin Mueller-Stahl (Conrad Strughold) William B. Davis (Cigarette-Smoking Man) John Neville (Well-Manicured Man) Mitch Pileggi (FBI Director Walter Skinner)
Written by Chris Carter and Frank SpotnitzŻ
Length: 121 minutes
Rating: * * out of * * * * *
This Review Filed: 22 July, 1998.

[ Pic from X FILES ]

There is no doubt that the X-Files is one of the most successful series in television history. In five years, it has crystallised and voiced out the hitherto hidden and simmering collective interest in the possibility of extraterresterial lifeforms visiting our lonely planet, even covertly landing and mingling amongst us already. With a reportedly US$1 million budget per episode, mastermind Chris Carter and his team of imaginative story-writers have given us brilliant plot development, disturbing philosophical diatribes and movie-level special effects every week, not to mention the witty repartee and psychosexual chemistry between the two leads. At least for the first three seasons, that is.

Having faithfully followed through the inconsistent fourth and fifth seasons, I was looking forward to this movie. Will the mystery of the black oil be revealed? Will there be a clear explanation of the nature of the Syndicate? Will any of the past dead (Deep Throat, Mr. X) come back alive? Will Mulder get to talk to an alien? Will the X-Files get a new office (since the old one burnt down at the end of season five)? Will Mulder choose to express his feelings of luurrve to Scully on the big screen? Will they be any other shocking revelations??? These queries are somewhat (I stress, somewhat) answered in the movie.

It felt strange to see our favourite FBI agents enlarged on the movie screen. Yes, the sets are better and the special effects bigger. The production team has used part of its US$70 million budget to give us more bang for our buck -- larger landscapes, bigger and noisier explosions, grander scenes. On the other hand, it feels much less than $70 million because of the already high cost per TV episode. Unfortunately, the movie fails to deliver on what counts most to X-Philes: plot.

[ Pic from X FILES ]

The problem is this: Carter and gang have shown to everyone who has ever watched an X-Files episode what can be done within the $1 million budget. What draws people again and again back to the series is the carefully thought out plots and the imaginative character development. As "The Lost World" and, more recently, "Godzilla" have proven, big effects and no story equals bad movie. The X-Files movie feels like one of those "To Be Continued" two-parters in the regular series, and with a mediocre story to boot. At times, it feels like a generic action summer-blockbuster movie, somewhat like "Cliffhanger" with Duchovny and Anderson replacing Sylvester Stallone and Janine Turner. Indeed, there are some crappy Stallone-esque lines in the script that will make you cringe.

The acting is of the usual high standard, with Duchovny and Anderson going through their paces. It seems to me though, that Anderson has gone from strength to strength as an emoting actress, while Duchovny has remained largely the same. Highlights are the humorously characterised Dr. Alvin Kurtzweil acted by Martin Landau and the introduction of a new member of the Syndicate acted by Armin "Shine" Mueller-Stahl.

The X-files mythology has become undeniably complicated and baffling in the last two seasons. Every fan has his/her own theory/guess/hypothesis on what has been going on. Every episode of the X-Files has brought up more questions while providing less answers. The bad news is the movie does not provide many answers. Those of you expecting a continuation to the end of the fifth season will be disappointed -- there is no mention of the mind-reading boy nor any news of the agent played by Mimi Rogers.

Reviewing this movie is like preaching to the converted. If you have watched the series occasionally, you will leave the cinema rather confused. If you have missed most of the fifth season due to the drop in story quality, the movie will remind you of why you stopped in the first place. If you have never watched a single episode of the X-Files, DO NOT WATCH this movie -- you will never understand it and it will be a complete waste of money. However, if you are a big fan of the series and have kept in touch with the general buzz, the movie is worth five GOLDEN stars. In fact, it is mandatory viewing if you wish to make sense of the next season. Just don't expect too much and prepare for an interesting season six.



Explore the Flying Inkpot

They're Alive!
Concert Reviews

Bit deadish:

Other Resources at The Flying Inkpot
Zine Scene Newslinks Movie Resources Booklinks
Chantelle L'amour Letters Page Inkvault Poetry
Home

Readers' Comments


From: bank (wyatt@thaimail.com)

i love you molder keep fight

From: Jason Lane (jblane@usa.net / Wednesday, November 25, 1998 at 05:45:28)

X-Files is one of the best movies that I have seen all year. It contains everything that you could ever want in a good movie. It has action, suspense, drama, special effects, and the one thing that you see very rarely in movies anymore. A STORY LINE. This is a great movie and a I reccomend that you go see it more than once to get the full impact of everything.

From: peter gus (bcorgan79@hotmail.com / Tuesday, January 5, 1999 at 05:06:54)

Finally I've seen a good film. Carter, you're a genius!! Just remember: the truth is out there...

From: ( / Saturday, January 23, 1999 at 21:32:30)


From: LINDA SPAGNOLA (lindasbeat@earthlink.net / Saturday, January 30, 1999 at 04:09:08)

Truthfully, I was somewhat disappointed with the Movie: The X-Files. I liked the fast pace and the acting was great as always; but the movie left me with more unanswered questions and I really do hate to see the series get into that alien goop stuff. What has drawn me to the series is the great acting, and thotful, deep, intelligent, spooky and thot provoking story lines.. Alien goop negates all that for me. Also, I too have seen a drop in quality of script writing. Last season I even started guessing the outcome of the episode after the first 5-10 minutes. I knew unless things changed, it was the beginning of the end of viewing for me. When something gets to be old hat, I tune out. Further, David does need to stretch his acting wings a little; he is a great actor, but needs to grow. I could be wrong, but it seems to me that the cast and writers are subconsciously if not consciously tired/exhausted from the demands of this series. It takes MUCH to keep something of this caliber going strong!

From: Outside magazine, October 1996 (Outside magazine, October 1996 / Friday, March 26, 1999 at 08:00:46)

Outside magazine, October 1996 Be Like Sri By Lolly Merrell Hey, kids, try this at home. If you want to start your own mystical, spiritual movement, consider Sri Chinmoy. In order to carve out his particular niche--especially after his knees grew sore from running--he began lifting things: first a dumbbell, eventually an elephant. In between, he hoisted airplanes, football players, and a one-ton pickup. Wide-eyed disciples prostrated themselves before him. Publicists sent out glowing reports. Meanwhile, the Master modestly attributed his exploits to one simple technique: "meditation," he told reporters, adding, "The strength and power are coming from within--from an inner source." That source is more commonly known as the rule of levers. "Heard the phrase, 'Give me a fulcrum strong enough and I'll move the world?'" asks Terry Todd, a professor of kinesiology at the University of Texas. In a typical lever-enhanced lift, he argues, Chinmoy hoists less than a tenth of the actual weight before him. "With the right equipment, any of us could do that." To make like Sri in your own living room, build a platform, add a lever, position the fulcrum so that it's just above your shoulders, add hundreds, even thousands of pounds to the platform--in the form of machinery or celebrities--alert journalists to your plans, pray enigmatically, then stand on tiptoe, pushing upward from your calves. Voilą! The platform will rise a quarter-inch. A miracle. Copyright 1996, Outside magazine Outside magazine, October 1996 Be Like Sri By Lolly Merrell Hey, kids, try this at home. If you want to start your own mystical, spiritual movement, consider Sri Chinmoy. In order to carve out his particular niche--especially after his knees grew sore from running--he began lifting things: first a dumbbell, eventually an elephant. In between, he hoisted airplanes, football players, and a one-ton pickup. Wide-eyed disciples prostrated themselves before him. Publicists sent out glowing reports. Meanwhile, the Master modestly attributed his exploits to one simple technique: "meditation," he told reporters, adding, "The strength and power are coming from within--from an inner source." That source is more commonly known as the rule of levers. "Heard the phrase, 'Give me a fulcrum strong enough and I'll move the world?'" asks Terry Todd, a professor of kinesiology at the University of Texas. In a typical lever-enhanced lift, he argues, Chinmoy hoists less than a tenth of the actual weight before him. "With the right equipment, any of us could do that." To make like Sri in your own living room, build a platform, add a lever, position the fulcrum so that it's just above your shoulders, add hundreds, even thousands of pounds to the platform--in the form of machinery or celebrities--alert journalists to your plans, pray enigmatically, then stand on tiptoe, pushing upward from your calves. Voilą! The platform will rise a quarter-inch. A miracle. Copyright 1996, Outside magazine Outside magazine, October 1996 Be Like Sri By Lolly Merrell Hey, kids, try this at home. If you want to start your own mystical, spiritual movement, consider Sri Chinmoy. In order to carve out his particular niche--especially after his knees grew sore from running--he began lifting things: first a dumbbell, eventually an elephant. In between, he hoisted airplanes, football players, and a one-ton pickup. Wide-eyed disciples prostrated themselves before him. Publicists sent out glowing reports. Meanwhile, the Master modestly attributed his exploits to one simple technique: "meditation," he told reporters, adding, "The strength and power are coming from within--from an inner source." That source is more commonly known as the rule of levers. "Heard the phrase, 'Give me a fulcrum strong enough and I'll move the world?'" asks Terry Todd, a professor of kinesiology at the University of Texas. In a typical lever-enhanced lift, he argues, Chinmoy hoists less than a tenth of the actual weight before him. "With the right equipment, any of us could do that." To make like Sri in your own living room, build a platform, add a lever, position the fulcrum so that it's just above your shoulders, add hundreds, even thousands of pounds to the platform--in the form of machinery or celebrities--alert journalists to your plans, pray enigmatically, then stand on tiptoe, pushing upward from your calves. Voilą! The platform will rise a quarter-inch. A miracle. Copyright 1996, Outside magazine

From: Lital Porat (avazit@hotmail.com / Tuesday, March 30, 1999 at 06:57:11)

I read your review anout the x-files movie and i dont think you are right by telling people who have never seen the show: dont go and see the movie.. I saw the movie after i have seen maybe 4 or 5 episodes during the 5 years the show was running... (maybe one of them from the 4 and 5 seasons). I enjoied the movie very much- and i dont think it was a waste of time, or money. I understood most of it's plot, and the other part got clearer during the the 6 season. I have become a fan of the x-files and i think that the script writers done a good job with it- they didnt solved alot and i think it's ok.. that way people who have never seen the show can enjoy it as a movie and x-philers can enjoy it as well. I understand now that if the writers had been revealing us more details than they have- it wasnt have come out as a x- files movie because this is not their way of telling the plot.

From: Sarah Proepper (sproepp@hotmail.com / Thursday, April 8, 1999 at 13:05:07)

I think that the X-files movie the best movie is because they is so ....... and you will be very scarried !!!!!

From: Tanya (frei_bornen@hotmail.com / Monday, August 30, 1999 at 21:46:10)

I thought the movie was quite good, and the first episode of Season 6 was rather impressive as well. But all the subsequent episodes aeem like jokes to me-- funny without any 'real' X-file tone to them. What do you think?