The X-Files: I Want to Believe (The X Files 2) (2008)

Featured Audience Ratings

• John M

  
  So-so two hour tv episode. . the entire plot was even more absurd i think in retrospect. . you def did not need any xfiles knowledge prior to this.

• Dean !

  
  I was a big fan of the TV series but missed some of the last two series. This is definitely set after the end of the last series, both agents are now doing other work and are no longer in the FBI, until they called upon to help with an X file type case. This could be viewed as a stand… More
  I was a big fan of the TV series but missed some of the last two series. This is definitely set after the end of the last series, both agents are now doing other work and are no longer in the FBI, until they called upon to help with an X file type case. This could be viewed as a stand alone film on it's own if you never saw any of the TV series (Really?!) However it just plays more like an extended episode and not really the type of story line the fans want to see in an X files film. It's ok but wont satisfy fans that loved the show so much. There might be a 3rd next year!

• Jeff "

  
  Follow up to S Files: Fight For The Future is a different change of pace than the first Sci Fi Horror film that was so terrific to watch. Elements that made the first film so good are here, but they're watered down to make it less strainfull viewing on the viewer. The plot is… More
  Follow up to S Files: Fight For The Future is a different change of pace than the first Sci Fi Horror film that was so terrific to watch. Elements that made the first film so good are here, but they're watered down to make it less strainfull viewing on the viewer. The plot is more simpler and feels more like an episode of the X Files, at least thats how they could have done it. Moulder and Scully are called back in service to help investigate a series of bizarre disappearances. The film is a fairly decent film, but there is a feeling that the script could have been reworked a bit before being being green lit. The acting is decent enough to keep you interested and the story is intriguing, but it misses a little something to make it a much better, more developed plot for the film. Obviously this sequel would not be as strong as the first X-Files film, but the filmmakers manage to make an entertaining Sci Fi/mystery horror film. A good film to watch, but the sequel suffers from a lack of creative original ideas. The film could have played out as a two part episode of the show. This type of storyline could have been better off as an episode than an actual film. But the film is entertaining somewhat, it's good enough to entertain you, but it doesn't do anything phenomenal with the overall script. The film overall lacks the Horror Sci Fi elements that made the first one great. Still watchable. Just expect something average while watching this film.

• Anthony L

  
  I want to believe tackles some fairly big issues, I have to say I was quite pleasantly surprised. I missed the last few series of the X-Files but it didn't seem to matter, I'm glad they've moved the story on, this is still the X-Files, just a bit grown up. There are a… More
  I want to believe tackles some fairly big issues, I have to say I was quite pleasantly surprised. I missed the last few series of the X-Files but it didn't seem to matter, I'm glad they've moved the story on, this is still the X-Files, just a bit grown up. There are a few changes I didn't like, it's a shame M & S didn't work together so much but it's forgivable, just as long as they make another one soon!

• Steven C

  
  Obviously, "The X-Files: I Want to Believe" is not a film for casual viewers since nine seasons of a television series and a previous feature film precede it, but as it stands, with all that baggage, it's a powerful experience. What fans get is more of an epilogue to… More
  Obviously, "The X-Files: I Want to Believe" is not a film for casual viewers since nine seasons of a television series and a previous feature film precede it, but as it stands, with all that baggage, it's a powerful experience. What fans get is more of an epilogue to the characters than a full blown 'x-file' case, which is fine, because the deep characterizations are emotional, complex and riveting. Gillian Anderson turns in one of her finest performances and the film is so well shot, edited, scored and directed that it enhances the mood and the creepiness of the case. I really enjoy this rich ending to an always rich and detailed series.

• Morgan S

  
  Slow and Long. I got distracted and I just couldnt really pay attention. I do wish they still had the original series on tv...

• Tony G

  
  Unjustly ravaged by critics, its biggest crime is that it's about 10 years too late. Plodding direction aside, the actors slip into their roles nicely, the story is creepy and strange and the show's ability to always make you question any paranormal event is still there.

• xGary X

  
  The FBI bury the hatchet with Mulder when they need his help investigating the kidnap of a federal agent. Being a bit of a long term X phile I was quite looking forward to catching up with my favourite paranormal investigators again, especially since they decided to dispense with the… More
  The FBI bury the hatchet with Mulder when they need his help investigating the kidnap of a federal agent. Being a bit of a long term X phile I was quite looking forward to catching up with my favourite paranormal investigators again, especially since they decided to dispense with the frustratingly over convoluted alien abduction storyline. I have to admit to a slight tingle when I heard that theme tune again and smiled at the sly references to the show when Scully and Mulder appear on the screen together again for the first time. All the best episodes of the show were usually the off-beat stand alone episodes that were done with witty irony and a sense of humour, but the plot to I Want To Believe unfortunately goes down the overly familiar serial killer road and aside from the macabre reason for the killers actions, it didn't really feel like an X-File at all. But by far the worst decision made was to separate the pair, with Mulder acting alone while Scully is sidelined in a tedious and irrelevant subplot as she once again goes through one of her periodic crises of faith. The fact that they are now involved also removes the sexual tension and amusing love-hate bickering which was always the real reason why the show worked so well, it being replaced with a dull domestic soap opera. It's well shot and the pair are still appealing but the plot is so very generic I couldn't help being rather disappointed. In the end it's just another serial killer movie.

• Wahida K

  
  After watching the first one I hoped they wouldnt produce a sequel. I rented this one on DVD and like I expected, dissapoiting like the first one. I think sometimes some TV Shows shouldnt be filmed.

• Lanning :

  
  For both this movie and the first feature-length <i>X-Files</i> film some ten years before, <i>Fight the Future</i>, the claim is made that you need know nothing about the original TV series in order to understand either movie. That's a question -- or… More
  For both this movie and the first feature-length <i>X-Files</i> film some ten years before, <i>Fight the Future</i>, the claim is made that you need know nothing about the original TV series in order to understand either movie. That's a question -- or rather a claim -- that I cannot come to terms over. I have seen every episode of the TV series multiple times, so I am in no position, objectively speaking, to argue either for or against that claim. From the moment you see Scully or Mulder on the screen, the entire mythology wells up in your consciousness, so you are absolutely aware of their history, and you cannot help but make connections with the fabled TV show. I would be very curious to meet someone who'd never seen the TV series and find out if that person believes that the two movies stand alone. <p> Having said all of this, and if you're still following me, I have to say that as a wholly contained story -- which is what I truly want to believe -- I actually prefer <i>Fight the Future</i> to <i>I Want To Believe</i>. Let me quickly add that my favorite episodes of the TV show have nothing to do with conspiracy theories, Mulder's sister, alien abduction, or creepy black-blood crawly body invasion thingies. I absolutely came to hate those episodes over the full course of the series. What I prefer are the nearly self-contained episodes that present some odd phenomenon, have Mulder and Scully jump on the case, and have the story resolved by the end of the 60-minute episode or the end of a two-episode story. Most of these self-contained episodes are really very well-wrought gems. <p>So why, you may very well ask, do I prefer the first movie, the one that deals with all the stuff I like least about the <i>X-Files</i>? This is a question which I cannot actually answer, specifically, but I think it may have something to do with Billy Connolly's character and with Dana Scully's terminally ill little patient. I like the weird Dr. Frankenstein transplant aspect of <i>I Want To Believe,</i> but I have a very strong suspicion, from a writing standpoint, that the whole Billy Connolly character may have been invented near the end of the creative process in order to fill out a story that may have been a little too thin and too short to begin with. <p> Ask yourself this: What does Scully's very very very secondary -- almost tertiary -- story about the boy who needs radical stem cell transplant surgery have to do with the overall story? I would submit that if that whole sub-plot disappeared, the movie would be none the weaker for the loss. Just shorter. <p> That leaves us with the crazy Russian Frankenstein types. What if Mulder and Scully stumbled across a frozen pile of body parts all by themselves, without any help from pedophile priest psychics? Or let's say an average guy doing a little beer drinking and ice fishing runs across this gruesome stockpile, starts reeling in an arm here and a head there. What would you have then? Well, I think you would have a pretty nifty little 60-minute TV episode. <p> So the reason why I like the first movie more is simply this: It reads like a full-length feature story with all of its parts very well integrated. <i>I Want To Believe,</i> on the other hand, reads like a great TV episode that someone wanted to flesh out, by accretion of parts, by hashing stuff together into a full-length feature. You cut out the excess window dressing, and you'd have yet another very good self-contained TV show episode.

• Conner R

  
  A great follow-up to the show. The story is great and probably one of the creepiest one's the franchise has seen. It was really great to see some closure with Mulder and Scully that the show never quite gave. David Duchovny really gave it his all for this and it really showed, he… More
  A great follow-up to the show. The story is great and probably one of the creepiest one's the franchise has seen. It was really great to see some closure with Mulder and Scully that the show never quite gave. David Duchovny really gave it his all for this and it really showed, he was exactly the Mulder we all know and love. Clearly they're not out of juice yet. If only they'd bring back the show!

• Dean L

  
  I'm not sure where the complaints lie. This movie was a better than average thriller that stood on its own apart from any knowledge of the characters going in. I think this is what made diehard fans upset...we didn't need to be privy to much beforehand to make this movie… More
  I'm not sure where the complaints lie. This movie was a better than average thriller that stood on its own apart from any knowledge of the characters going in. I think this is what made diehard fans upset...we didn't need to be privy to much beforehand to make this movie work. It is a hardcore thriller that speaks to the true evil in men's hearts as well as a bit of the supernatural. The performances were solid as was the storyline. The movie does not rely on gimmicks or special effects. There aren't big explosions or frenetic gunplay. There is just a story and a lot of tension. I think it played quite well. Were some of the ways they resolved certain issues unbelievable? Yeah, but...I want to believe (had to do it...sorry for that). The movie was taut, dark and sometimes difficult to watch and I challenge the fanboys (which I am one of) to give me a reason that this did not work for you outside you expecting your old pals Mulder and Scully to play to you. They don't. This brings me back to the early days when Carter really put his heart and soul into the writing of X-Files and Millennium. Far superior to the first X-files movie which only sought to tie up loose ends. This film is a 3.75 solid moving on 4 stars.

• Film C

  
  i love x-files i liked it because i like sci-fi and this was a sci-fi show, molder and scully teaming up to find and solve paranormal and alien activity awesome HOWEVER in the movie they must have forgotten the real reason people love x-files and why it was a sci-fi but this movie… More
  i love x-files i liked it because i like sci-fi and this was a sci-fi show, molder and scully teaming up to find and solve paranormal and alien activity awesome HOWEVER in the movie they must have forgotten the real reason people love x-files and why it was a sci-fi but this movie was just really a drama thriller type movie that was entertainingly ok but not what i expected from this movie which is disappointing!

• Alexander W

  
  If you have seen at least one season and know the background to the recent seasons then you will enjoy this film. Otherwise this is a comparitivlely normal movie but worth seeing the same. Thriller/Horror/Drama

• paul s

  
  Not terrible, just not very good. There is a compelling mystery for the first half of the film, accompanied by a defrocked priest/pedophile who suddenly has visions that lead him to clues. So far, so good - you can believe him, or... but then the coincidences mount up, and… More
  Not terrible, just not very good. There is a compelling mystery for the first half of the film, accompanied by a defrocked priest/pedophile who suddenly has visions that lead him to clues. So far, so good - you can believe him, or... but then the coincidences mount up, and several charactors become characatures; throw in a totally gratuitous chase scene (that has little to no tension) and it's goodbye plausability and interest. In the end, the villians seem rather mundane (as I suppose they should be, as they were just "doing their job") with the reality aspect of having them not even speak English totally derail any sense of hatrid or interest. So some Russian scientists decide to play god - why might have made an interesting question; but that falls by the wayside. I suppose it's only natural to compare this film with a tv series (any series, not just the one that spawned it) - and really, there are several tv shows being filmed today that leave this feature length film in the dust.

• Michael G

  
  I kind of zoned out on the last few seasons of The X-Files then checked out altogether once David Duchovny left the show, so I had no idea what happened in that final season. So I kind of watched The X-Files: I Want to Believe out of nostalgic self-imposed obligation more than… More
  I kind of zoned out on the last few seasons of The X-Files then checked out altogether once David Duchovny left the show, so I had no idea what happened in that final season. So I kind of watched The X-Files: I Want to Believe out of nostalgic self-imposed obligation more than anything. And surprisingly it wasn't too bad. There were very few elements to qualify this story as an X-File and it seemed to be here more as a post script after what I was told was a horrible finale. Duchovny and Gillian Anderson got back into their respective roles without missing a beat. Amanda Peet was surprisingly not annoying and what the hell was Xzibit doing here? Honestly. I Want to Believe had some genuinely creepy and almost... scary parts, but the story seemed to wander around lost in a limbo between any given generic serial killer movie and a forgettable standalone episode of the show. There are definitely worse ways to spend a Sunday afternoon and while the movie didn't seem to rely on its audience seeing every episode of the show, I can't help but feel there were a few more details we should've been tipped off to. Worth the watch if you were a fan of the show but non-fans need not bother...

• Gordon A

  
  Mulder sports the least convincing face wig ever but quickly shaves it off in this lukewarm extension to the franchise. It captures the old sinister atmosphere but I was surprised by the routine plot given the purported extreme lengths they went to to keep it secret. The Mulder/Scully… More
  Mulder sports the least convincing face wig ever but quickly shaves it off in this lukewarm extension to the franchise. It captures the old sinister atmosphere but I was surprised by the routine plot given the purported extreme lengths they went to to keep it secret. The Mulder/Scully dynamic was a bit confused which may have stemmed from shooting out of sequence. The original couple of TV series gripped and always surprised but the franchise has no where left to go based on this film.

• Derek A

  
  When there is a 10 year gap between sequels, there is typically only one reason: cashing in on prior success at the expense of eagerly anticipating fans. We all "Want to Believe" that this 2nd installment was created to reboot the franchise, or at least to add something… More
  When there is a 10 year gap between sequels, there is typically only one reason: cashing in on prior success at the expense of eagerly anticipating fans. We all "Want to Believe" that this 2nd installment was created to reboot the franchise, or at least to add something memorable and worthwhile. I Want To Believe.... But like most supernatural stories, it just isn't true. Everything that made <i>The X-Files</i> unique and magical was completely absent from this film. For instance, Scully always acted on her emotions, and now that she is a doctor, she now rationalizes everything. In fact, I found her new role to be extremely annoying. Scully, played by Gillian Anderson, looked 10 years older and she didn't fit the part any more. It was sad to see.... David Duchovny, as Mulder, looked like he hadn't aged a day. He still nailed his role very convincingly... Where this film ultimately fails is the plot. It's ludicrous and dry. There was hardly anything paranormal about it. It was just a very average crime flick. In the era of CSI, it's laughable to create such a story that is only pieced together by a ridiculously trite subplot of a pedophile priest who seeks forgiveness from God by helping the FBI with his "visions." This guy is the only reason they find their clues. It's extremely lazy script writing. I gave it higher marks than it deserved because I'm a fan of <i>The X-files</i>, but this franchise <b>deserves</b> better than this crap. If this franchise wasn't dead before this film, it definitely is now. What a bad way to go out....

• Nate Z

  
  [font=Arial][color=DarkRed]The X-Files: I Want to Believe - To all fellow X-Files fans out there, the movie is not nearly as bad as you may have been lead to believe. That said, it's pretty much a so-so standalone episode of the TV show needlessly expanded. And yes, for all… More
  [font=Arial][color=DarkRed]The X-Files: I Want to Believe - To all fellow X-Files fans out there, the movie is not nearly as bad as you may have been lead to believe. That said, it's pretty much a so-so standalone episode of the TV show needlessly expanded. And yes, for all concerned fans, Mulder (David Duchovny) and Scully (Gillian Anderson) kiss on more than one occasion. The plot that reunites the characters is fairly mediocre, something about a ring of mad scientists that want to be a modern-day Dr. Frankenstein. You don't need a two-headed attack dog to know that plot is way too hokey. The most intriguing aspect of the film is a priest (Billy Connolly) who also receives psychic visions, cries tears of blood, and, oh yeah, is a convicted pedophile. Could God be responsible for his special abilities as well as the abhorrent sexual urges? There is so much great conflict and human drama in this character worth examining, so it's a pitiful shame that he just gets shoved off so the third act can concentrate on the lame mad scientists. A majority of the flick occurs in snowy West Virginia, which doesn't translate into anything too special to look at. I'll admit, my rating is inflated because I was an ardent fan of the TV show until the last years when it felt like they weren't even trying any more. If you stripped away my allegiance, I'd say that the second X-Files movie serves little purpose other than to add a tiny coda to a TV show that went off the air in 2002. The characters are worth revisiting, just not in this tepid tale. Nate's Grade: C+ The Visitor - The follow-up by Thomas McCarthy, the writer/director of the sparkling Station Agent, is an affecting indictment on our nation's immigration policies that manages to say a lot of important things in small touches, ditching histrionic messages. Walter (Richard Jenkins, in a commanding and deeply empathetic performance) discovers a pair of illegal immigrant squatters living in his seldom-used New York City apartment. He strikes up an unlikely friendship that moves in subtle strokes that keeps the movie very character-based. The second half of the film revolves around Walter's attempts to work within the system to free his new friend from detention. I could have spent more time with Walter and Tariq, the Syrian immigrant who teaches Walter how to play the African drum. The Visitor explores a man learning in his autumn years how to reconnect with people, and it has moments of astonishing emotional clarity. McCarthy is a filmmaker that can spin narrative gold from just about anything; The Station Agent had a hot dog vendor, a single mom, and a dwarf. The Visitor is further proof that McCarthy is an extremely talented man who knows how to target and tap the humanity of his unique characters. There are very few moments in this movie that feel false. Nate's Grade: B+ Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day - The movie seems to float on the effervescent air of 1930s screwball comedies, and in truth it does possess some of that snappy allure. Francis McDormand travels into the inner circle of the upper social classes in London and befriends a bubbly lounge singer, played by bubbly actress Amy Adams. The film moves at a ridiculously fast pace, sometimes too fast as it tries to pile on complications and setbacks. This day-in-the-life confection is sweet and well natured but rather too digestible. Once the movie is over I do not see myself ever dwelling upon it once again. It's a pleasant and entertaining experience even if it dances right out of your memory. Nate's Grade: B Man on Wire - Why? That's likely to be the question on many people's minds when this documentary concludes. Why did effete Frenchman Philippe Petit decide to walk on a tight rope between the World Trade Center towers in 1974? Why devote an entire feature-length documentary to a subject that seems pretty limited? Well, Man on Wire is certainly an engaging film; amusingly, director James Marsh structures the flick like a heist movie, where we watch Petit assemble his team and practice his stunt. There is a sense of beauty watching a man balance on a wire hundreds of feet above the ground. The film also has colorfully French characters to fill in the details on how they pulled off the "artistic crime of the century." Of course any modern art dealing with the World Trade Center is given new meaning, and Man on Wire is aided by added poignancy of watching the building construction and then the daring feats of Petit. I confess, though, that I'm dumbstruck at this movie being declared the finest documentary of 2008. It's a good movie, sure, but not even the fourth best documentary I've seen in a doc-heavy year. The footage of Man on Wire is more amazing than the story behind how it happened. Nate's Grade: B Hellboy II: The Golden Army - I hated the first Hellboy, dubbing it the second worst film of 2004. The fact that I enjoyed the sequel is nothing short of shocking. Honestly, I think this mumbo jumbo is easier to swallow when it's more fantasy based than science fiction based. I can accept an alternative magical world filled with elf princes, troll markets, and tiny "tooth fairy" creatures that act like piranhas with wings. Nazis and Zombie Rasputin trying to open a portal to giant squids? What the hell are giant squids going to do against nuclear bombs? I'm sorry, that's powerfully stupid and unacceptable. Hellboy II is even more imaginative and far more enjoyable. Writer/director Guilermo del Toro has refined the world and makes sure his story follows the rules it sets, which means that while the plot gets crazy it doesn't feel cheap. I actually had some fun with Hellboy II and del Toro knocks out some pretty crafty action sequences. As expected, the makeup and creature designs are impeccable, which may explain why I had more fun watching the various magical creatures than following Nazis and slime wolves in the first flick. The lithe Angel of Death is particularly startling, with a head like a fried calzone and eyeballs dotted along expansive bird wings. This is a film that feels much more confident about its identity, thanks in part to getting rid of the rookie main character from the first film and focusing on the big red guy. If del Toro ever makes a third Hellboy film, I can honestly say I'll be highly intrigued to see what weird wonders he cooks up. This statement is astounding considering I felt that there was only one 2004 film worse than the original Hellboy. Nate's Grade: B[/color][/font]

• Cassandra M

  
  X-Files: I Want To Believe Think of a bad X-Files episode. Then make it 104 minutes long. Put Fox Mulder in a big fake beard. Have Dana Scully solve the mystery by web searching ?stem cell research?. There. I just saved you watching X-Files: I Want To Believe.

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