CommentsXp Best movie ever!

RipDelight This is a tender, generous movie that likes its characters and presents them as real people, full of flaws and strengths.

Jenna Walter The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

Calum Hutton It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...

Mihai Toma Many years after the events from the first movie, a retired and isolated Moulder is convinced by his ex-colleague, now turned doctor, Scully, to join a case which involved a weird person who claimed he had visions of various events regarding crimes. It's a movie which, as opposed to the first one which focused on extraordinary and paranormal events, like aliens, decides to base its story on a series of apparently random murders, which can be "seen" in one way or another by a mysterious character who doesn't seem to be taken very seriously by the authorities. Moulder's involvement will prove to be decisive, as he's somehow determined to find the truth about the so called psychic.As you might have guessed by now, the story isn't much, to say the least. The action isn't either, being based on something which isn't interesting or fascinating to begin with, and ends up a bit more complicated but still as least impressive. The two main actors seem to be focused on different plans almost all the time, Scully simply not knowing what to do, concentrate on her work, on their relationship, or on his case. It all seems to be a bit chaotic, although it quite isn't, but still manages to bring boredom along the way. You simply don't get the suspense or the thrill which is are a must in this types of movies.It isn't what it supposed to be, it isn't as impressive or as mind- boggling as the episodes from the series or even the first movie, fact which leaves you with an apparently normal mystery which is bound to be solved in the end, thus making the finale even less satisfying than it actually is. Overall, it's not a bad movie, but it falls deep into the average trap, not managing to get out of it with absolutely anything, even being below it at times. It failed to deliver what a true X- Files movie/episode should have brought, thus leaving the viewer with mixed or even bad feelings.

zkonedog When The X-Files officially left the airwaves in the spring of 2002, series creator Chris Carter wanted to spin the characters off into a series of films. I think he knew as well as anyone how sour of a note the show had ended on. Due to a number of different production factors, however, "I Want To Believe" didn't get made until 2008. By that time, the whole experience was going to need more context, and this movie doesn't care to provide it.For a basic plot summary, "I Want To Believe" begins with an FBI agent being abducted. The only clues to her whereabouts? Father Crissman (Billy Connolly), a disgraced former Catholic priest who supposedly has visions of the abduction. Since agents Whitney (Amanda Peet) and Drummy (Xhibit) don't know what to make of this guy, they contact Dr. Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson), now working at a Catholic charity hospital, to see if she has had any contact with one Fox Mulder (David Duchovny). Scully is indeed living with Mulder, who is offered an amnesty deal to clear his name if he helps the FBI solve the missing person's case. Mulder can't resist, of course, and as a result both he and Scully are sucked into a dark and terrifying case that pushes the boundaries of both science and medicine.By pretty much all accounts, "I Want To Believe" is roundly criticized as a very poor film. Upon this recent viewing, however, I came to appreciate parts of its central storyline better than when I first saw it in theaters. I don't want to give away too many spoilers, but there is a "Dr. Frankenstein"-esque plot that is truly terrifying and holds up well to spooky X-File cases of the past. The chemistry between Mulder and Scully is better than it was at the end of the TV episodes, and it is kind of fun seeing Scully get to be an actual doctor to real, live people (something we never saw on the show).Sadly, those tiny glimmers of hope only raise this to a two-star film. It isn't going any higher. The reasons? It just makes too many questionable (i.e. stupid) decisions to ever let the whole project get off the ground. For example...-There is no context given between the end of the show and the beginning of this movie. Mulder is supposed to be on the run from the FBI, yet he lives with Scully and would be very easy to find. This is never explained. I realize that CC wanted this to be a standalone movie and not related to the over-arching mythos of the show, but it needed a bit more context than nothing. You can't just ignore previous events like that. -There are too many other distractions going on. The arc about Father Crissman takes up a majority of the film's first half, but then is pretty much dropped until a nice piece of dues ex machina at the very end. There are also many references to religion, stem cells, and the Catholic church in general, making it seem like CC was just trying to throw a whole bunch of modern-day issues at viewers to see what would stick. Only the "Frankenstein" angle works, though, but sadly that only really heats up in the last 20 or so minutes of the film. -Even when the movie does try to make references to the show, it usually fails miserably. There is a scene where Samantha Mulder (Fox's abducted sister) is discussed that makes very little sense in illustrating the point that is trying to be made. A hollow name drop, in other words, instead of an organic plot point. It's telling that only Walter Skinner (Mitch Pileggi) joins Mulder and Scully from the old days on the show, as the writers had written all other plots/characters into a corner that this standalone had no use for them.Overall, "I Want To Believe" was a well-meaning concept that just fizzles for far too many reasons. it makes questionable contextual decisions, it has an interesting plot but chooses to meander, and it is unable to capture that sense of spookiness that the early seasons of the TV show possessed (at least until the final few minutes). While, on a second viewing, viewers may not feel quite as betrayed as they likely did the first go-round back in '08, there aren't nearly enough positives to even make it an "okay" film. The potential was present, but ended up getting dragged down in the minutiae and lack of clear focus.

Python Hyena X-Files: I Want to Believe (2008): Dir: Chris Carter / Cast: David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, Billy Connolly, Amanda Peet, Alvin "Xzibit" Joiner: Worthwhile followup to the hit film ten years prior. Why a sequel is released this much later is requiring too much faith in the popularity of the show. Theme is a question of faith, whether in religion or science. Mulder and Scully are back when females go missing and a male severed arm is found buried in snow. Director Chris Carter is backed by fine production and a worthy screenplay. Gillian Anderson returns as Scully who is now a surgeon. David Duchovny returns as Mulder whom isolated himself. Both leads are solid as they reunite and investigate the case. Billy Connolly steals scenes as a psychic Priest with a questionable past. He will have visions to further the case but will never be able to clear his past no matter whether he solves this case or not. Amanda Peet as an FBI agent is unfortunately flat and only seems to be there as a possible romantic tease as if viewers had no faith in the relationship between the two leads. Alvin "Xzibit" Joiner plays a special agent. While reminding us of the show's popularity, religious elements may offend certain viewers, particularly the view of Christians. Others may want to believe that this series may have run its course on the big screen. Score: 7 ½ / 10

curtis martin I think that the main reason X-Files 2 failed at the box office but has gone on to have a relatively successful life on home video is that it was just not a "big" enough story for a big, pop-culture based theatrical film. I remember going to the theater and thinking, that's all there is to it? But now that I've watched it again, after watching a bunch of the series episodes on Netflix (including the finale) I can see that it is an excellent coda to the series and that it should have played on television in the first place. The main drama in this movie is not in the visual sci-fi/horror element--which is what theatrical films excel at.The main drama in XF3 arises from the relationship between Muldar and Scully, which is the kind of intimate, small stuff that television can excel in (especially when it has 9 years to develop the relationship in the first place). It is interesting to see how the two characters have changed. (and, it is worth noting that while Anderson is till three times the actor Duchovny is, he holds his own in this one, instead of being outacted to a distracting degree as in the first theatrical effort).Secondary are the themes of faith and belief that were the bread and butter of the series (they weren't deep, but they were there).If the movie had been from a foreign director or an indie, and had not been tied to an iconic pop culture phenomenon, it is ironic that it probably would have been more successful at the box office (partly because much less money would have been spent making it, partly because of lowered expectation).So, I challenge anyone who is a fan of the old series, and who may not have enjoyed XF2 when it first came out, refresh yourself on the series on Netflix or DVD and then watch this movie again, but just think of it as an extended episode. I think you'll find you really enjoy it. It won't blow your mind, but you will enjoy it.