Written by b Aug. 11, 2008

I know I lump myself in with a whole slew of weirdos when I admit that I’ve been waiting with baited breath for the new X Files movie. But the fact remains, I totally was. I loved the series and was never satisfied with the end, it left me with a case of the WTFs. I was even the rare person who didn’t mind when David Duchovney started giving the show the slow fade. Scully was always my hero.

A pretty obvious clue a movie is going to suck is that the studio doesn’t promote it IT ALL. I saw exactly one commercial for the movie and that was two days before the theatrical release. The trailer itself showed nothing, so I thought, this is going to blow. And then promptly ignored myself.

The second obvious clue a movie is going to suck is when your friend threatens to sue the director in her Facebook status. I mean, you really can’t get more obvious than a civil suit threat, especially in one’s Facebook status. But I promptly ignored it.

A word of warning to the die-hard X Files fan, do not look to this movie for answers. All the weirdness of the series finale is kind of brushed aside as if the writer wanted a cinematic do-over. The TV series was an intellectual tease where nothing is as it seems. The rational Scully was always torn between logic and faith and the eccentric Mulder is torn between blind faith and disbelief. You loved them, the yin and yang of this secret offshoot of the FBI. The movie tries very hard to recreate that, and mostly fails.

The worst part of this movie is the writing. They often have laughable dialog and major plot points from the series are shrugged off in one or two sentences (hello? Their son). The movie tries to get to a level that is deeper than a B movie thriller by throwing in religious symbolism, but doesn’t entirely succeed. The movie goes back to it’s roots during the last 20 minutes when it is really left up to the viewer to determine what is real. Do you want to believe? It turns out I really, really did.

The best part of the movie is it’s ode to the series. I’ve read a couple reviews that call the movie a love song to fans, it’s not. The X Files fan was not only invested in the story line, but also the characters; their relationships, their flaws, and their motivations. The ONE SINGLE EVENT that brought Mulder to the X Files (his sister) was given two sentences in the movie. With this egregious brush-off, it’s clear Chris Carter doesn’t give a hoot about the fan, this is a love song to the TV series.

Regardless of this lukewarm review, if you are an X Files fan, you should see this movie. Billy Connolly (who, for half the movie, I thought was John Cleese) is great as conflicted anti-hero. There are so many little easter eggs throughout the movie that only the X File fan will get, they really do make watching the movie worth it. But the best part of the movie comes about 3/4ths of the way through and made me cheer aloud. I didn’t see the movie in the theater, but I’m told everyone cheered aloud there, too. You’ll have to see the movie to know what I’m talking about, I refuse to ruin it.

It’s watered down sci-fi and it doesn’t scratch the X Files itch, but it is enjoyable. It’s like going to a reunion and seeing friends you lost touch with many years ago. They may be old, fat and sporting a bad comb-over, but after five minutes you can overlook their flaws and see them back the way they were. Sure it’s sad and awkward at first, but you walk away from the evening with a smile.

Editor’s note: One of the best moments in the flick happens while the credits are rolling. If you’re going to watch it, keep your ass in the seat for a couple minutes longer. It’s worth it.