I’m a big X-Files fan. I watched nearly every episode, I loved the characters of Mulder and Scully, I loved the nonstop banter and sexual tension between them. I enjoyed most episodes of the show, but the series should have ended about 2 seasons before it finally petered to a lame halt.
The first X-Files movie was great fun; there was nonstop action and aliens and all the great characters from the TV series made their appearances and there were even a few questions answered. This summer’s X-Files movie, ten years after the TV series ended, was horrible.
I wore Alien by Thierry Mugler to the cinema. I kid you not. There wasn’t a single alien in the movie. The movie turned out to be about stereotypically ugly bad guys with Russian accents kidnapping people to either sell their organs black market or perform bizarre experiments on them like putting heads on other people’s bodies. It was always snowing in the film and I think they were in West Virginia. A monumental event occurred in this movie – Mulder and Scully were in bed together; they kissed; and Scully told Mulder she loved him! But it couldn’t have been less exciting. Fans of the X-Files have waited for these moments for about 15 years and the scenes couldn’t have been shot or delivered with less feeling, less enthusiasm, it was downright sad.
Skinner showed up for the last 5 minutes. Otherwise none of the usual suspects from the TV series appeared. No Cigarette Smoking Man, nobody. Apparently Mulder has been in hiding, living as a recluse, clipping out newspaper articles and pasting them all over his house. Scully became a regular doctor at a Catholic hospital and still struggles with her faith. There are so many boring drawn out moments during the movie where Mulder and Scully argue about their differences in belief – basically how Mulder wants to believe in the paranormal and how Scully doesn’t believe in anything unless provable by science.
As a fan of the X-Files, I wish this movie had never been made. It single-handedly ruined a lot of good X-Files memories for me. My favorite episode is the one about the Peacock Family. The Peacocks were a bunch of feral in-bred humans living on a secluded farm with their limbless mother tied onto a wheelie cart and stuffed under the bed. Do you remember this episode? This was so morbidly disturbing I watched it twice. All the boys were having sex with the mother and she was giving birth to disfigured babies which they were killing and burying in the back yard. It was awful. So awful it was genius. Chris Carter had something good going for awhile there. But it’s all over now.
I *so* wanted to believe.
4 comments:
I used to love the x-files too. My 16 year old son went to see the movie last night and I was dying to hear what he thought. what did he say...it was nothing like the x files, there were no aliens, it was boring.
I won't be wasting my time, but tell me did Scully smile?
That sounds very disappointing. Sometimes I think film-makers don't know when to stop messing with a concept. I agree, the last two seasons of the show were a waste, but the first movie was pretty good.
I've been put off the new movie both by bad reviews and by the fact that, nowadays, Duchovny really does look like a man who would die from auto-erotic asphyxiation! He has this sleaziness to him.
God, yes, that episode was disturbing. I've only ever watched it the once, but it still haunts me a bit.
Hi Zita & Tania,
I don't recall Scully smiling ;-) and your comment cracked me up. Gillian Anderson stays very much in character in the usual Scully way - no nonsense, very serious, no smiling!
Aside from that, both Duchovny and Anderson look great, perhaps better with age.
Tania, Have you seen Duchovny's show Californication? The sleeze factor is rampant on that! But I've enjoyed Californication. After the first episode which consisted of nonstop gratuitous nudity there's good character development. Back to the latest X-Files movie, I think folks who *aren't* fans of the television show might think it's OK, it's an average thriller of sorts, but those of us who are true fans of the show and the first movie will be terribly disappointed...sorry I don't mean to be a wet blanket but I was so bummed! I thought the chemistry & sexual tension between Scully & Mulder was the best TV couple in as long as I can remember...oh well.
Abigail,
yes, I've seen some of Californication, and I liked it. As Hank, DD looks like an unmade bed, and he is a complete sleazeball. But he's a likeable one, despite it all, and the plot & characters are interesting. I have to finish watching it, I think I stopped (interrupted by real life) at about episode 6.
I assumed my thinking DD looked a tad sleazy came from Californication, then I recalled the 'before & after' pics of him from the London premiere. He started out ok, all tidy and suited and sober, but ended up rumpled, untucked and somewhat partied-out! Still a good-looker, but the kind that you just KNOW would be trouble. ;-) Mind you, I always thought Mulder would be a freak behind closed doors, too... *heh*
I think I'll wait til I can rent the movie on dvd. That way I won't feel too gypped if I don't like it (cinemas here are bloody expensive).
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