The X Files (1998) David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, Martin Landau, John Neville, William B. Davis, Mitch Pileggi, Blythe Danner, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Terry O'Quinn. Written by Chris Carter. Produced by Chris Carter and Daniel Sackheim. Directed by Rob Bowman. 115 minutes PG-13, 3 stars (out of five stars)
Review by Ed Johnson-Ott, NUVO Newsweekly www.nuvo-online.com/film/ Archive reviews at http://us.imdb.com/M/reviews_by?Edward+Johnson-ott To receive reviews by e-mail at no charge, send subscription requests to pbbp24a@prodigy.com
A little behind-the-scenes glimpse at the fabulous world of film reviewing. Prior to the press screening for "The X Files," the promotion representative asked my paper to agree not to print a review prior to the film's official release date. I asked why, if Time and Newsweek were running advance reviews, anyone would give a rat's ass if an Indianapolis newspaper offered an opinion two days early. "It's studio policy," the rep informed me in curt tones. "Besides, they don't want to see any early reviews popping up on one of those sneak preview web sites."
"Oh please," I moaned, "I'm a professional journalist. Do you honestly think I'm going to take material I'm paid to write and submit it to 'Ain't It Cool News' under a pseudonym? Writing is not easy and I have no interest in seeing my finished work in giant type on a fan page, attributed to 'Pudding Whistle' or something." The rep was unimpressed by my little tirade and grudgingly, I agreed to their terms.
The reason I've shared this with you is because there's only so much one can say about the actual film without spoiling the fun. A big part of enjoying "The X Files" series comes from trying to figure out the secrets of the show's labyrinthine conspiratorial story arc and the same holds true for the film, so you'll see no spoilers here.
For those who have never followed the show and may feel intimidated by reports of the series' elaborate back-story, you can rest easy. The film, while complex, stands alone and is understandable to newcomers. Hard core fans who worried that the movie would reveal too much can relax as well. While "The X Files" clarifies the series mythology, there are definitely plenty of secrets left.
After an effectively spooky prologue set in 35,000 BC, the film picks up where the show's season finale left off, with the X Files closed and Fox Mulder and Dana Scully working on an FBI terrorism unit in Dallas. An explosion draws the pair back into the thick of the conspiracy, which leads them everywhere from the desert to Antarctica. Along the way, we meet new shadowy characters, witness a significant moment in the droll duo's relationship, and get some dandy scares. Leaving the theater, I felt just satisfied enough and found myself looking forward to the fall, when we'll see where the series leads from this invigorating turn.
"The X Files" plays like an expanded episode of the TV show and that's a good thing. Instead of getting carried away with making an theatrical epic, Chris Carter and company wisely remembered the importance of maintaining the tone of the series. David Duchovny's laconic Mulder and Gillian Anderson's intense Scully are fascinating characters who play as well on the big screen as on the tube.
Continuing the series tradition, the film tosses in humor at unexpected moments. Fans will delight in a scene addressing Mulder's chronic deadpan expression, while event movie producers Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich will wince over a hilarious, very pointed dig at one of their films.
A couple of minor gripes. Mitch Pileggi, one of the series' strongest characters, is underused here. And the film's climax, while both scary and exciting, is a bit ragged, with a few plot holes and gaps in internal logic.
The better episodes of the "X Files" series play like abbreviated movies and, quibbles aside, "The X Files" lives up to the high standards set by the show. Is it the best "episode?" No. But it's a good one. "The X Files" moves at a fast clip, sets and maintains a creepy tone and answers just enough questions. There's still a lot of truth left to be revealed, but this entertaining "X Files" does a nice job of whetting our appetites for what's to come.
© 1998 Ed Johnson-Ott
The review above was posted to the
rec.arts.movies.reviews newsgroup (de.rec.film.kritiken for German reviews).
The Internet Movie Database accepts no responsibility for the contents of the
review and has no editorial control. Unless stated otherwise, the copyright
belongs to the author.
Please direct comments/criticisms of the review to relevant newsgroups.
Broken URLs inthe reviews are the responsibility of the author.
The formatting of the review is likely to differ from the original due
to ASCII to HTML conversion.
Related links: index of all rec.arts.movies.reviews reviews