After Californication, which is relatively fresh in my head, it was interesting to see David Duchovny as Agent Fox Mulder again. The most noticeable observation being that the show and its characters have aged very well. There has been considerable character development, and this is presented to the audience in a faultless ’10 years later’ sorta fashion. The relationship between Mulder and Scully has evolved substantially, and it’s nice to see this side of things, especially for those who wondered, what after?. In keeping with the roots of the show, the plot has unexplainable elements to it, in the form of the psychic priest. On the flip side, grounded scientific reasons exist for all his actions and predictions. The movie is slow, and dark; though the runtime is a mere 108 minutes, it feels like a lot more. Being a standalone plot, new comers to the franchise don’t need to worry about backstory, while existing fans will love to see the changes, and reappearance of old characters. Compared to the first movie, there’s a lot less action, and a lot more emotion; so be warned if you were hoping for aliens and exploding buildings. Chris Carter has certainly taken it down a few notches. If you love The X Files as I do, and grew up enjoying it, you’ll probably rate this quite high, but even otherwise it’s definitely worth the watch.
It wouldn’t be The X Files without Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully played by David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson. Thankfully neither one of them has lost their touch; he seeming just as out there and believing, and she coming across just as grounded and stable. Both characters have aged, and are yet just as wonderful, if not better in a mature sorta way. An interesting addition to the case was Agent Dakota Whitney, played by Amanda Peet. While I was skeptical at first, owing to her comic nature, I was pleased to see her execute the suited FBI agent role with ease. While the only glimpse of humor on her part was from the gag/outtake reel, she brought to the table her usual energy which fit in well. If you’ve ever wanted to see rapper Xzibit in a suit, here’s your chance; he plays Agent Mosley Drummy, and does a good job of being the stereotype skeptic.
The DVD I was watching was a Region 1 US DVD. It featured both a theatrical and extended version; I sampled the later. Video was good, but had a dark undertone to it. While this was probably intentional, it did take away from the flawlessly sharp crystal clear video we’ve all come to get used to. That said, it did look a lot like the old show, and that’s probably what the desired output was anyways. Sound was presented by means of a Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack. There was ample usage of the surround stage, with a lot of ambient effects coming from the rear channels. This set the mood, and really made it feel like The X Files.
My Recommendation: Watch It (The X Files, a decade later)
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