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The X-Files Movie Review

The X-Files is a 1998 science fiction thriller film directed by Rob Bowman and starring Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny. It was a surprisingly strong transition from the small to the big screen.

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“Trust no one, Mr. Mulder“

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Two FBI agents set out to unravel a government conspiracy related to the alien colonization of Earth and attempt to rescue the people on the planet. This feature was supposed to bridge the gap between the fifth and the sixth seasons of the show and they did that mostly successfully. the movie is meant to be enjoyed by the fans of the show first and foremost and especially by those who’ve seen the fifth season.

The black goo is back and the alien conspiracy is in full force here. In fact, the thriller elements are so good that those political and conspiratorial moments were the highlights of the entire film. Again, none of this leads anywhere and we are again left with too many questions unanswered, but at least the final image of Mulder looking at the alien ship lifting from the ground into the sky was powerful and affirmative of the larger conspiracy at play.

Speaking of Mulder, he is great here and Duchovny is better than usual in this particular installment. Some of his moments were quite moving. Gillian Anderson was as expected fantastic as Scully and she shared some wonderful moments with her partner. The two actually joking around and fooling with one another was very endearing.

That comedic tone in The X-Files movie really worked and they made the film more entertaining. The chemistry between the two agents is undeniable here and this is the closest they’ve come up until this point to acknowledging their feelings for one another.

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Other highlights here include the enlarged scope worthy of the big screen with solid VFX and a terrific score. The dialogue is also strong as is the characterization with the main villains returning and stealing the show here. My main issue is that the overall storyline is very familiar to many other previous episodes of the show with only the scope being bigger. The story itself is been there, done that while the conclusion is again too ambiguous.

The X-Files movie was a surprisingly competent transition from the small to the big screen. Yes, it’s familiar in its overall plot and it’s only meant for the fans of the show, but it serves as a perfectly solid bridge between the fifth and the sixth seasons of the series. The VFX and score are quite strong while the dialogue and characterization are excellent. The dynamic between Scully and Mulder is amusingly playful here.

My Rating – 4