by Thomas Ferguson

Is the truth really out there? I don’t know if it is or not, but there is a bigger question on my mind. Why did the makers of The X Files wait so long for a sequel to their 1998 hit?

Many years have past since the last time FBI agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) have chased UFOs and other things that go bump in the night. Scully is now a doctor and Mulder is a recluse, still believing in the supernatural.

An FBI agent goes missing and current agents are at a loss on how to find her whereabouts. A psychic, former priest (Billy Connolly) believes he has the answers through a series of visions, but lead agents Dakota Whitney (Amanda Peet) and  Mosley Drummy (Xzibit) are sceptic.

They call on the help of a reluctant Mulder to help guide the investigation in the right direction. As the clues and leads heat up, so does his interest in finding not only the missing agent, but also other women who have turned up missing.

Mulder and Scully are now involved romantically, but they both disagree on helping the bureau. Scully is busy trying to find a cure for a young patient dealing with a fatal disease and does not want to go back to the dark past of field work.

As a connection to Scully’s hospital comes to light, both Mulder and Scully find themselves in the middle of a possible serial killing spree that has more questions than answers.

Well, ten years is a long time, especially for audiences. People easily forget and move on. I think that will be the case for this new X-Files movie. The film itself was not bad per se, but there was nothing really interesting enough to warrant an urgency to see it. I mean, it’s nice reconnecting with beloved characters of the past, but there needs to be another motivation behind revitalizing a dormant franchise.

The story was interesting enough, but it all culminated to a finale that did not live up to the ride getting there. That being said, the final scene was very profound despite its weak climax. I was not a big fan of the show, but I had friends that were. Because of them, I was exposed to several episodes and the first film. 

This movie stayed on track with the winning formula, but if I were writer Chris Carter, I wouldn’t wait so long for a follow up.