Rob Bowman directs David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson and Martin Landau in this big screen continuation of the hit sci-fi TV series where Mulder and Scully must rebel against the government cover-up of a conspiracy and find the truth about an alien colonization of Earth.

The helicopter budget for this was off the chain. Feels very much still like the TV show only slicker. The Stone Age prologue is a good indicator of the new found freedom the movie format allows. That aside, there is nothing too fresh here but a visual sense of scale. The three big set pieces are solid. The FBI building bomb threat kick starts things nicely and the strange white structures full of bees are memorable (even if the swarming peril is short lived). So it has cinematic polish. The plot and revelations are nothing unexpected if you have even casually watched the “conspiracy” episodes of the series and, personally, I’m a monster-of-the-week guy. Interesting that some of the big reveals teased and set-up here were never revisited. I guess ultimately this blockbuster attempt to indoctrinate newbies and reward fans with a prestige bonus at least realigned Mulder and Scully back onto the same synchronisation. The season preceding this saw them separate for whole arcs at a time. The Duchovny and Anderson chemistry was a huge part of the series’ success and longevity. This multiplex excursion refocuses that winning element going forward.

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Perfect Double Bill: The X-Files: I Want To Believe (2008)