The X Files : Fight the Future review

1998

Review

The movie takes place between the end of season 5 and the beginning of season 6. The X Files have been closed down, again, but this does not stop Mulder investigating the weird, again.

We meet all our favourite characters -- Skinner, Cigarette Smoking Man, the Lone Gunmen (briefly) -- as our heroes chase all over the planet tracking down the latest alien menace. Ancient aliens in Texas, bombs in FBI buildings, dead firefighters, unexpected corn fields (straight lines of crops, no circles, more's the pity), a conspiracy theorist even Mulder thinks is paranoid [Martin Landau], and strange things under the ice, all feature in the break-neck paced plot.

Probably as a sop to that general audience, we get more explicit information about the aliens in this movie than we've had in the first five seasons, with frank admissions and explanations from the Syndicate and closeup views of ravening Greys. (But Chris Carter will probably Deny Everything next season.)

Sometimes movie spin-offs of TV series (and I'm thinking mainly of Star Trek here) can drag, as the writers try to get deep and heavy, but just get slow. Apart from the high information content, however, this is just a rather good "double episode"-style plot, with good SFX, and enough twists in the action to keep you guessing. Essential viewing for those following the series, and a fun romp for anyone else.

Rating: 3