That should be recognizable as the title of the most recent X-Files film. If you didn't recognize it, now you know. For anyone who made the unfortunate decision to see this film (as i so did) then i am very sorry. "The X-Files: I Want To Believe" is the reunion of Mulder + Scully from the long living + immensely popular X-Files series that ran from 1993-2002. I enjoy visiting old friends as much as the next person but 6 years is certainly a long wait. By the end of the series run the fan base had dwindled, the quality greatly diminished, + really was a shell of the show it had been for it's first 7-8 years. To return 6 years later with a relatively low-key film... well it really isn't so shocking to see this film tanking @ the box office. This likely means any hope of future X-Files films have gone by the wayside. Of course, if the quality of this represented the best Chris Carter had to give us, maybe we don't want anymore X-Files films.When the series started it's fall from grace will forever be up for debate. It is a popular theory among "X-Philes" that the shows 1st 4 seasons, filmed up in Vancouver, were in fact the best years of the show. The shows audience grew rapidly over the 1st 3 seasons + the shows popularity peaked in the series 4th + 5th seasons upon it's move to Sunday nights. Seasons 6-8 each saw gradual decline in viewer ship until it fell off the map complete with season 9. Only 4 times did the show crack 10 million viewers - it's premiere + the final 3 episodes of the series. It's no real surprise as apart from the shows 2-part finale Mulder was absent from the 9th season + the X-Files unit itself was left in the hands of Dogget + Reyes. I do believe i also mentioned that the quality episodes more or less sucked, right?
Season 8 + 9 are often clumped together being "The Dogget Years" although i have always thought it unfair b/c season 8 towers over season 9 in terms of quality. For many fans of the show though it was Mulder's quest for the truth + the relationship between Mulder + Scully that made it so good. With David Duchovny only in half of season 8 (with several appearances being very brief) it was immediately met with skepticism. The show still performed well however, falling only slightly from season 7's average audience of 14 million. It is my opinion that season 8 was very good + perhaps even a step above the previous 2 seasons. Certainly there were a few dogs (Invocation + Badlaa come to mind) but most episodes, even sans Mulder, proved to be solid. The final stretch with Dogget, Mulder + Scully together was fantastic.
Season 9 however... well to be fair it's been a long while since i've watched many an episode from this season b/c, well, why would i? Or anyone else for that matter? Now it wasn't all bad + there were several good episodes but in the scheme of things though... it was bad. I recently caught the episode "Daemonicus"@ 2 AM on the Sci-Fi channel + it was absolutely brutal. Many episodes of the show became redundant + the logic behind the mythology of the series spread thinner + thinner. They even titled a later episode of the season "Jump the Shark" in which we said goodbye to the Gunmen. Speaking off, Fox shouldn't have canceled that show after just 12 episodes... bastards. Even the 2-part finale wasn't as good as it ought to have been. It welcomed back Mulder + was better than most of season 9 but that really doesn't really say much for it.
The first X-Files, "Fight the Future", was released between the shows 5th + 6th seasons, making 85 million domestically with a worldwide total of 190 million. For the most part was it was fairly solid despite being a bit long winded. Reports of a second film had been in circulation from the moment the series closed up shop (+ probably before then) yet years passed with no news other than a promise that there inevitably would be another film. One might think however that time would have been of the essence. The show had lost a majority of it's audience by it's end + was no longer a pop-culture phenomenon. What made them think that fans would return after 6 years? I guessed they assumed the chance to see Mulder + Scully one final time would be enough to drag even the most casual viewer to theaters.
It would seem however that they were wrong. The film opened with a less than spectacular 10 million + fell to 3.5 million in it's 2nd weekend. It seems as if no one really wanted another X-Files film. Now whether people weren't interested in seeing it because they were no longer interested in the X-Files or whether this particular storyline failed to catch their interest is the question. Chris Carter opted to go with a more stand-alone "Monster of the Week" approach to the film as opposed to the on going mythology of the series. The X-Files did feature many great stand-alone episodes but but it was the Alien conspiracy + mistrust of the government portrayed in the show that resulted in it becoming a staple of pop-culture. They would have to come up with something quite interesting to draw in audiences + they simply didn't.
Very little information regarding the plot (or any other aspect of the film for that matter) of this film was released prior to the films opening. Really all we knew was Mulder + Scully were in search of the Truth yet again + "It's Here!!". The film itself is... well, boring + not very good. One might even go as far as to say it was terrible, + then keep saying it over + over + over. Mulder, last seen being hunted by the government in helicopters with rocket launchers, has apparently been collecting news clippings + growing a beard for the last 6 yrs. Mulder + his relentless search for the truth however remains interesting throughout the film (the only thing this film has going for it) where as Scully + pretty much everything else is boring. The story, unfortunately, really isn't that interesting @ all, just creepy.
I, as i assume many would, hoped this film would be good. While the X-Files certainly should have ended when it did a film, or several, was certainly desired. The 6 year wait + the low key approach however really doomed this project. Releasing the film in the midst of summer block busters was also not the greatest idea as it in no way is a blockbuster film. Of course they could have made a better film... although one thinks anyone who wanted another X-Files film would go see it regardless. Perhaps we've not seen of the end of the X-Files with the end of this film but after it's poor reception we very well may have. Will anyone really want to see a 3rd X-Files film? I haven't quite decide myself if i would or wouldn't. It's sad to see how the franchise has faded into near oblivion. Perhaps it's best to let the franchise rest as it's audience is gone, it's appeal to the casual viewer zero to none + the quality greatly diminished from what it once achieved on a weekly basis. It would be nice though to have one last, good, film with Mulder + Scully bringing everything to a close (the emphasis is on good). I do, after all, still want to believe...
The first X-Files, "Fight the Future", was released between the shows 5th + 6th seasons, making 85 million domestically with a worldwide total of 190 million. For the most part was it was fairly solid despite being a bit long winded. Reports of a second film had been in circulation from the moment the series closed up shop (+ probably before then) yet years passed with no news other than a promise that there inevitably would be another film. One might think however that time would have been of the essence. The show had lost a majority of it's audience by it's end + was no longer a pop-culture phenomenon. What made them think that fans would return after 6 years? I guessed they assumed the chance to see Mulder + Scully one final time would be enough to drag even the most casual viewer to theaters.
It would seem however that they were wrong. The film opened with a less than spectacular 10 million + fell to 3.5 million in it's 2nd weekend. It seems as if no one really wanted another X-Files film. Now whether people weren't interested in seeing it because they were no longer interested in the X-Files or whether this particular storyline failed to catch their interest is the question. Chris Carter opted to go with a more stand-alone "Monster of the Week" approach to the film as opposed to the on going mythology of the series. The X-Files did feature many great stand-alone episodes but but it was the Alien conspiracy + mistrust of the government portrayed in the show that resulted in it becoming a staple of pop-culture. They would have to come up with something quite interesting to draw in audiences + they simply didn't.
Very little information regarding the plot (or any other aspect of the film for that matter) of this film was released prior to the films opening. Really all we knew was Mulder + Scully were in search of the Truth yet again + "It's Here!!". The film itself is... well, boring + not very good. One might even go as far as to say it was terrible, + then keep saying it over + over + over. Mulder, last seen being hunted by the government in helicopters with rocket launchers, has apparently been collecting news clippings + growing a beard for the last 6 yrs. Mulder + his relentless search for the truth however remains interesting throughout the film (the only thing this film has going for it) where as Scully + pretty much everything else is boring. The story, unfortunately, really isn't that interesting @ all, just creepy.
I, as i assume many would, hoped this film would be good. While the X-Files certainly should have ended when it did a film, or several, was certainly desired. The 6 year wait + the low key approach however really doomed this project. Releasing the film in the midst of summer block busters was also not the greatest idea as it in no way is a blockbuster film. Of course they could have made a better film... although one thinks anyone who wanted another X-Files film would go see it regardless. Perhaps we've not seen of the end of the X-Files with the end of this film but after it's poor reception we very well may have. Will anyone really want to see a 3rd X-Files film? I haven't quite decide myself if i would or wouldn't. It's sad to see how the franchise has faded into near oblivion. Perhaps it's best to let the franchise rest as it's audience is gone, it's appeal to the casual viewer zero to none + the quality greatly diminished from what it once achieved on a weekly basis. It would be nice though to have one last, good, film with Mulder + Scully bringing everything to a close (the emphasis is on good). I do, after all, still want to believe...
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