The X-Files: Fight The Future
Chad'z rating: **1/2 (out of 4 = okay/average)
1998, PG-13, 122 minutes [2 hours, 2 minutes]
[thriller/science fiction]
Starring: David Duchovny (Special Agent Fox Mulder), Gillian Anderson (Special Agent Dana Scully), Martin Landou (Dr. Alvin Kurtzweil), William B. Davis (The Cigarette-Smoking Man); written by Chris Carter, Frank Spotnitz; produced by Chris Carter, Daniel Sackheim; directed by Rob Bowman; based on the television series created by Chris Carter.
Seen June 20, 1998 at 12:00 a.m. at Crossgates Cinema 18 (Guilderland, NY), theater #1, with Chris Wessell using Hoyt's Cinema Cash. [theater rating: ***: good sound and picture, average seats]
Most movie versions of TV shows are usually based on old, canceled series, not on-going ones. Therefore, "The X-Files: Fight The Future" poses a dilemma since it's not so much inspired by the popular show, as it is an extension of it. Not being a fan of the show, am I qualified to view the film fairly, since I have little background on the basic scenario? Yes I am, because as a film critic I must remain unbiased before viewing anything, and in this case my unfamiliarity allowed me to see the film completely within its context. What I saw was a terrific thriller trapped behind a confusing, sloppy script.
The story is basically self-contained, but many of the details are rooted in the series, which allows the film to take certain liberties it probably wouldn't have (or shouldn't have) had it been a completely original concept. For example, the basic essentials such as characterization of the two leads are virtually non-existent, nor much of, if any, definition of the "X-Files" division itself. It's difficult to sympathize for characters we are never formally introduced to while working for a covert operation we're not given any background on. FBI special agents Fox Mulder (Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Anderson), are presented as though we're already familiar with them, and their initial case involving the bombing of a federal building seems like just another episode in their continuing adventures.
But it wouldn't be a movie if something unusual didn't happen to shake things up. The first two scenes sketch out the supernatural elements at play. These scenes depict some kind of alien encounter with earthlings over time, portrayed in a generic manner. We get slimy, violent creatures jumping out of shadows, loss of innocent humans, and a subtle establishment of how powerful the extra-terrestrial is (its virus lives on thousands of years after its death). The scenes are shot well enough to be suspenseful, but it's really no different than countless other sci-fi movies, especially the "Alien" series.
Mulder and Scully manage to safely evacuate a building from a terrorist bomb (which is discovered in the typical "accidental" manner), but instead of being rewarded, they are separated because they've learned there's a connection between the alien's revival and the bombing. Here, the script is crafted in such a way that we are able to put some of the clues together ourselves, instead of having the characters figure it out through coincidences and lucky breaks. It's clear a conspiracy is unfolding, which creates for a good sense of mystery, and it's not too difficult to follow.... at first.
More characters and plot elements begin to crop up as the film shifts to the second act. As is the case with all conspiracy stories, a shady character must come into play to provide our heroes with insights and tips they wouldn't and couldn't have gotten anywhere else. Martin Landou co-stars as this film's rendition of that character - Dr. Alvin Kurtzweil, a man with conspiracy theories so fantastic he must be either a raving lunatic or a genius. Kurtzweil is Mulder's "Deep Throat," always providing him with clues in dark, steamy, wet alleyways, about the alien project and a plot to take over the world. Kurtzweil's theories and the clues he drops are interesting, but described in such vague manners the story quickly becomes hard to swallow and very confusing. The characters can't keep track of who's who and what's what, so how can we be expected to?
The great thing about conspiracies is the fact they can be woven with such intricacy and yet still make sense in the right hands. It is in this aspect that the film is severely flawed, since there doesn't seem to be any motive behind it all. We do encounter the people behind the massive plot Mulder and Scully are trying to break, but the villains just aren't vile enough. They supposedly wield tremendous global power, but how they got that power and how they use it is never explained. At times they are afraid of being exposed by Mulder and Scully, and yet they clue them into the big scheme. None of the conspirators have genuine emotion, they seem to be simply going through motions they cannot explain, resist, or justify.
Surprisingly, as complex as the story is, the film still manages to work at least as a big-budget popcorn flick. The various sub-plots allow the film to focus more on individual scenes and conflicts rather than the final payoff. The result is back-to-back chase scenes, hiding scenes, scenes of miraculous revelation, and the special effects to tie them all together. On the surface they suffice simply as of-the-moment thrills, but upon closer inspection they really aren't anything intelligent. All the time the film spends on having Mulder and Scully run and hide might have been better used to develop the story instead of the superficial action.
And perhaps this is why the film falls just short of greatness. It keeps us guessing with its complex story, but it still feels the need to dumb itself down with melodrama. The final act clinches this as it's a life-or-death situation for both of the characters that involves act after act and feat after feat of sheer luck and coincidence. The climax doesn't have nearly the impact it should as it's really just an exaggerated version of the mini- climaxes that occur throughout the film. And in the end almost nothing seems to have been resolved, it's as if the entire story existed for the ending. In fact, when the closing credits began to roll, someone in the audience yelled out, "That's it?!"
It's clear "The X-Files: Fight The Future" was made with the right intention, that is, to be a good movie. The film is full of possibilities, original ideas, and an overall sense of depth, but why does it feel the need to cop-out when it comes to executing its resources?
e-mail: ChadPolenz@aol.com (C) 1998 Chad Polenz
Member of: The Online Film Critics Society The Internet Movie Critics Association The Online Movie-Goers Academy
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