Movie Classic: The X-Files (Fight The Future)

-Directed by: Alexander Witt, Rob Bowman, Billy Burton

Starring:
-David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson

With rumors circulating that there might be a second movie, I thought it was high time to revisit one of the most successful TV to Movie crossovers in the Sci-Fi genre. Based on the hit Fox TV show, Fight the Future is successful because it's not a seperate part of the show's often complex mythology. It's an integral part of the storytelling. Series creator Chris Carter has said that the film was going to answer some questions in a way the show would be unable to in a really entertaining manner. The 60 minute series simply didn't have the time or budget to do what Carter had envisioned. Thankfully, the nice people at 20th Century Fox's movie division did.

The result is what every television show hopes to be when it arrives in feature film form. It's a rich look into the world of the X-Files, bringing up the past as well as looking to the future. It also did something that fans were wanting for a very long time. You got to see more of the relationship between the show's central characters. For years, Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully had been one of the most electric pairings on TV. The chemistry was, and still is, one of the most tangible. What the movie did is allow you to see how deep that caring went. You never saw a pointless sex scene, but you did see how deep the friendship ran and you saw them both realize there might just be more to it. There is a scene in the hallway outside Mulder's apartment where that is absolutely clear to even people who weren't familiar with the history of the show. Duchovny and Anderson's talent is in that even when not a word is spoken between them, you understand intimately what's going on. That's something that only the really special pairings in entertainment can hope to manage.

Special effects wise, this movie absolutely delivers. This film allows Carter's vision for the X-Files to go to a whole new place. You see how deep the aliens have embedded themselves in our lives thanks to small little clues that lead to a breathtaking ending on a glacier. Carter was given a real opportunity to take both the devoted fan and the newcomer to a whole new place. He most certaintly didn't disappoint.

I will let you know that there is some violence and gore in this movie, putting it at a solid PG-13. If you're familiar with the series though, then this won't come as a massive shock. If you're able to and prefer an edited version, check out Clean Films and get yourself involved in one of the greatest conspiracies in Sci-Fi.

The X-Files: Fight The Future is available in stores and online. The X-Files series can be seen in syndication and is available for sale everywhere.


-Jenn Untch
Liberty, Missouri
jennuntch@yahoo.com
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