I can see everyone's problem with this film. When something carries a cult name like X-Files people expect a certain degree of escapism and adventure as in the first film and this unfortunately hasn't happened here. The film stands quite well individually (if without the X-Files name). Had this been made without the necessary cast and certain personnel this could have easily been passed off as another crime thriller with a couple of character name changes. In short this was a good film not great but but good, even though I missed the little green men… Expand

I just saw the first showing of this film. It's fantastic. No BS. I was shocked at how well it managed to capture and distill the essence of the show. There are a few plot holes but never mind that. Go see this film... it's refreshing to see a summer movie that leans more on character then FX. I give it 3 thumbs up.

A fully realized and executed movie - dont read the 'main-stream' reviews. DD & GA were very good in the reprise - very good performances. X-Files fans will NOT be dissappointed. It's to bad this movie so was long in the making - if there is never another X-files movie - this was a fully realized close to the TV series. Well done - all involved!

Wow. I don't think these critics saw the same film I did. The one I saw was a suspenseful, restrained and mature slice of these two characters' lives. I do think that the filmmakers made a fans' movie, despite their attempt to make a movie for everyone. But I'm a fan, and I got -- not what I wanted, but something surprising and satisfying.

I loved it! Above all, it reminded me why I fell in love with this show in the first place. I think I'll start rewatching the series now :)

after the first 30minutes the only thing that was keeping my eyes open was the need for eating some popcorn

Did not like it! It was cool seeing Mulder & Scully back together again, but the story??? They couldn't pick a better premise then that? Well, at least we will always have the show...

It had quite a lot of hype to live upto, and i feel it didnt quite live upto expectations. But sayign that, it was enjoyable, well acted, quite funny at times and quite an unexpected story line. Although in terms of the show, i feel a mising FBI agent was a small reason for the FBI to forgive all his "sins" and ask for his help. Help against pending alien invasion might be more appropriate. I'd count it as a slightly better than average episode, but not amongst the classics. But overall.. still worth watching.… Expand

Umm.... they did what with people :o i enjoyed it and it was a nice watch while waiting for step brothers to come on but I can almost promise ill never re watch it, one time was enough.

In I want to believe the writter need to go back an do rewrite your audience was expecting an Alien of some type not a rehash of Frankinstein. I'm not wasting my money on another Mulder & Scully. The writer needs more excitement.

As a long time fan of the show, I was incredibly upset and disappointed when I walked out of the theater after seeing this movie. It was like they spent 10 years building up an intricate story arc that finally culminated in the series finale, and the first X-files movie even played into that storyline, but then for some reason many years later they just decided to ignore all of that and make a mediocre 'monster of the week' episode into a full movie. And it wasn't just that the movie didn't tie into the main story arc of the television series with the alien invasion and government conspiracies either, but it was that the movie even ignored the many years of character development and the evolution of Mulder and Scully's personalities in favor of just going back to the original scenario where she is a 'skeptic' and he is a 'believer', even though that isn't the way things were at all when the series left off. I have no idea what they were thinking when they made this movie, but as a fan of the actual series (which this movie clearly had little to no connection to), I wish that X-Files: I Want To Believe had never been made.… Expand

I had high hopes for this film, but this was just an extended episode of X-files, and not a particularly interesting one. I found it very predictable and unimaginative. Still worth seeing.

I wish Chris Carter had decided to return to the alien invasian storyline, but nonetheless, this film is getting a raw deal from the critics. The plot turns slightly sloppy in the second half, but it's a great character study and the concept of faith in its many forms is central to the film and explored very well. I agree with someone else who said that many of the reviewers have only a passing knowledge of the tv show. If they had done their homework, they'd know that this movie pays tribute to the Mulder Scully relationship -- which was the driving force of the show, anyway. I sincerely hope that the movie brings in enough at the box office for Carter to return for a third movie -- he has been saying that the third one will deal with the alien invasion, and it's a resolution that they fans deserve and that a new generation of fans could really latch onto.… Expand

This movie is so inconsistent,boring and the dialouge between scully and mulder just reeks of boredness.

A fairly good movie, with a decent cast, but not a very powerful story to go with it. overall its worth the watch.

How was this an X-File? Rarely have I seen a suspense film with so little suspense or a thriller with so few thrills. But what hurts must is a sci-fi with zero science. It wasn't fun, it wasn't creepy (I take that back, Billy Connelly, the ex-priest was creepy), and the plot makes no sense. --[spoilers]-- What happened to the missing FBI agent? Why is Sculley using Google to learn about a procedure she's performing the next day? What was the point of the chase into the construction site?If the villian had taken Amanda Peet with him, the scene might have made sense. Can anyone explain why Sculley and Mulder had no chemistry? Is it because we see the moment of intimacy so early? It's almost like Chris Carter didn't expect fans of the TV series to watch the movie.… Expand

Only Scully(Gillian Anderson), and Scully alone, can broach the subject of Mulder's sister to the ex-FBI agent. Fearing that Mulder(David Duchovny) may still be feeling the effects of cabin fever, Scully orientates him to the here and now, so when he leaves with the field agents to help locate a missing girl, it doesn't turn into a wild goose chase, conducted on synchronous time. Because Mulder loves Scully, no offense is taken by her implicit suggestion that he possesses an omnipresent mind. And because Scully is probably the most important person in Mulder's life, he lets the obvious go unspoken; that Dana Scully's return to practicing medicine is the act of a tortured soul. Mulder, he knows. He's been there. He's still there. Since "The X-Files: I Want to Believe" knows its characters intimately, fans surmise that Dana is seeking the approval of her father, albeit posthmously. In an episode from Season One called "Beyond the Sea"(featuring a great performance by Brad Dourif), Scully loses her father, and is aggreived by his unspoken disappointment that her departure from the medical profession in order to join the FBI caused him great consternation. She wants out. She wants to remain in the light. So Mulder goes into the darkness alone, but Scully is his dark light, and Mulder is hers. To quote Michael Corleone in Francis Ford Coppola's "The Godfather: Part III(I Want to Recast my Daughter's Part)", "Just when I thought that I was out, they pull me back in." Thankfully, "The X-Files: I Want to Believe" is smaller in scale than the first film. Throughout its nine-year run on the Fox network, we saw enough signs of alien life and government conspiracies. Signs of love, that's what longtime fans want.… Expand

Chris Carter did what he knows best, write a good x-files episode. He reminds us that we don't need endless explosions and gun fights to make a good thriller. Overall very enjoyable.

Great movie. It's didn't assume the audience was stupid. The only thing I thought was stupid was a medical doctor using Google for stem cell research.

Any way you slice it, this movie is a disaster from top to bottom. The one good part that even the scroogiest of critics point to is Gillian Anderson's performance. Yes, it's fine, but when one is working with such a god-awful script, who cares? The banter is muddled at best, and the plot is a pale imitation of the show's lamest of episodes. But none of that would matter if something -- anything -- worked. Yet it's doesn't. [SPOILER ALERT] Everything, including the chiming of the theme when a picture of George W. Bush is seen outside an FBI conference room (which made me say aloud in the theater, "Well what the hell did THAT prove?"), is ham-fisted in a way that makes "Walker Texas Ranger" look like first-rate drama. And giving Skinner three lines (the second of which is a repeat of the first) is beyond hokey; why bring Mitch Pileggi back at all if that's all you were going to do? "I Want To Believe" doesn't ruin the show's legacy; most of those episodes are still insanely watchable a decade and a half later. But, like the Twin Peaks flick "Fire Walk With Me," though it has the same characters, the writers apparently lost the plot somewhere, and this version is yet another piece that proves "Star Trek" was about the only show that was ever able to make the leap from small-screen sci-fi to big-screen action and not totally suck.… Expand

As some user said: It just ruined one of my favourite shows! I havent felt any mystery or thrills or any interest to what went on during the movie. But I expected to the very end that there would be some kind of twist that will turn this simple story about a Russian (I'm russian and they spoke no russian) psyho-doctor. One of the worst movies of the year, unfortunately...

My problem with this movie is that it did not involve an x-file. I realize the department was shut down, but that doesn't mean paranormal events have stopped happening. If the story revolved around an x-file that happens to threaten a member of the FBI, that could have pushed it up a notch. I'm okay with the fact that it does not involve aliens, but something extraordinary would've helped. or keep this plot, just don't drop "X-Files" into the title of the movie . . . it's misleading. great to see mulder and scully again though!… Expand

I'm a long-time viewer of the series, and was depressed at seeing the show decline quite a lot after the 1998 film, especially the mythology. The stand-alones never held my interest, except the psychic ones, because I never cared for being scared. The mythology episodes had more to them: there was a depth of complicated, yet sometimes mysterious, relationships between Scully and Mulder and the human conspirators. So, the mythology basically ended brilliantly with Season 6's "Two Fathers"/"One Son" and Season 7's "Sein Und Zeit"/"Closure", but the series generally lacked the quality of Seasons 3 and 4, and what really became obvious was that Mulder and Scully's dynamics were stale from Season 6 on; they tried to throw in comedy to give them something new, and there were a few good episodes, which surpassed the over-rated Season 1. However, Season 7 was a total failure, except the afore-mentioned episodes. Though Season 8 added some new dynamics with the introduction of Doggett and a few of the new mythology stories were fun, it wasn't consistent enough, and Doggett often played a more stubborn, working-class Scully. As I wrote in a Season 9 review, "the characters moved through the dramatic motions in so formulaic a manner, lacking clear motivations, while the stories lacked real plot; scenes and dialogue felt stretched out on purpose. The mythology had become a caricature of itself, employing mystifying dialogue and pointless confrontation to put nothing substantial across, but to serve as ends in themselves." So, anything that avoided the formula of Scully and Mulder's dynamics would have been a bonus. How many times would Scully contemplate whether Mulder's quest was hers? How often would Mulder feel guilty about that fact and go off on his own? How often would they suspect Skinner? How often would some physical trauma happen to Scully causing her to feel victimized? How often would the X-Files be closed or Mulder and Scully kicked out of the FBI? More importantly, how often could the themes of faith, trust, and paranoia be used with any freshness? The first film was a failure as a mythology story because it tried to work as a standalone but without all the aspects that made the mythology so effective -- the built-up fascinating characters and their loaded histories with Scully and Mulder and the various theories of what the main characters had seen so far. After the series' best mythology episodes in Season 5's "Redux II", "Patient X" and "The Red and the Black", viewers were greeted with a fairly shallow story. The X-Files was never as much about revelations as about the dramatic interaction of the main characters with the recurring ones like CSM and Krychek, but they were either absent or stripped of any meaningful dialogue. There was also such a self-conscious attempt to dumb things down for excitement purposes: the explosions, the silly bees, the spaceship at the end -- the last of which was never really explained. Granted this film had a pretty lame suspense quotient and misused Callum Keith Rennie, who is magnificent in Battlestar Galactica, and just wasn't very exciting here. Part of this also stemmed from the low key nature of the story. I have to admire how Carter abandoned all the shock and awe of the previous film and shallow copycats like J.J. Abrams, who is just an awful, superficial producer. Mulder and Scully were on the run from the FBI at the end of the series, so to just have them back in with guns and resources would have been pat. The story was trying something new in having them on their own and they had to rely on basic resources like no guns and Google.com. Carter has also often said that real fright comes from the everyday. So, a collision in daylight with a snow-shovelling truck becomes a terrifying abduction. At least that was the idea. I could admire his restraint the same way I did Bryan Singer's attempts to tone down a super hero story in "Superman Returns", even though they both failed in some ways. However, for all the lack of thriller action, the movie was really about the relationship between Scully and Mulder, and I was surprised at how fresh the dialogue was and how new the turns in their relationship were, showing how it had grown. Mulder no longer spoke in cheesy stock phrases about how "the truth is out there" (something ardent early seasons' fans forget he did a lot in Seasons 1 and 2, when the dialogue was often poor). There was a subtlety to the ever-present themes that rejuvenated them, and my fear they had been tired out was put to rest. Also, Scully was given a dignity she hadn't known in a professional sense before in that she actually kept her job in the end. In addition, there was an attempt at moral complexity in Billy Connelly's character. Finally, the tender moments and the excellent dialogue between Mulder and Scully were wonderful to see, and was really the most important aspect of any X-Files movie I was going to watch. Truthfully, their drama felt more real than the relationship between the two leads in "Atonement", although admittedly what made that film great was the outsider sister. Yet, if this had been a film by Anthony Minghella and not The X-Files with lots of superficial critics' stock expectations, it would have gotten better reviews. I'm not saying it's an 'A' film, but what Chris Carter has attempted and succeeded at in the intimate drama and dialogue is quite an accomplishment, especially for a sci fi franchise that built its audience on spooks and scares, and is now not simply using drama as a breather between action scenes like most of Hollywood. 7.5 out of 10… Expand

Very disappointing. I am so OVER the X-Files now. Chris Carter has totally killed off (not literally) Scully and Muldar with a tired script, lame dialogues and a plot that destroys our enjoyment of what they once were to viewers: instead of fresh, funny and odd, Fox and Dana are now middle aged tired and weird. This was a waste of talent, money and time all the way around.

Very nice movie, but it feels a bit too much as a stretched episode of the series.Maybe be a bit too slow for the popcorn eaters that hungers for non-stop action.

Good fun and worth watching for an X-files fan; think of it as a long episode that's well acted and written and you won't be disappointed. Mulder and Scully are still great on screen together.

Okay... let me tell you something...that x files movie was awesome! I didn't want to take my eyes off of the screen the entire time. I've loved the show ever since I first saw it about three years aqo. Even if you haven't seen the show, you could probably still follow the story line. The whole plot centered around a series of abductions and a so- called- psyhic the FBI was depending on to help them out. Although Mulder and Scully's lives had led them away from their former jobs as FBI agents, they get tangled up in the business of the abductions. Real psyhic? Abducties murdered? Who was responsible? ....well, I'll just let you figure that one out for yourself. If you're a fan of the paranormal, unexplained events, or just plain out murder mysteries, I would strongly recommend this movie. It will surely have you on the edge of your seats! I'm really hoping for a sequel!!… Expand

By far, the worst movie i've seen all summer. slow. boring. i disliked all of the characters. just plain bad.

A Pedophile priest that has visions but he misses two important visions – one way was why he not in jail and two a x-file movie that sucked!

All that suspense, secret script and plot lines, just for that!! The story-line pales in comparison to the classic episodes of series' 1-5. The dialogue between Mulder and Scully was dull and there is no chemistry between them. Back in the good old days these characters had fun, but no more. I almost fell asleep and I left the cinema quite depressed. I wanted scary monsters, Scully's scepticism, Mulder's enthusiasm and some characteristic witty repartee. Both Anderson and Duchovny looked tired and bored. As a fan of the show I was very disappointed indeed and I will be trying my best to wipe the memory of the film out of my mind, although I'll never be able to get that 2hrs of my life back.… Expand

I liked this suspenseful film a lot. The script is very good as are the performances of the Scully and Mulder characters. This movie deserves a bigger audience and hope people will take a chance and go see it. I mean just how many times can you see TDK before one becomes bored.

I love them.... And I'm very happy with the movie.

A well acted film including the right actors and actresses, followed by a serious thriller plot whilst bringing a new feel to the X-files, justifying the choice for a movie. There are fitting cameos and star performances blended well into a simple yet engaging adult storyline.

I found more pleasure in counting the little lights running up the isle of the theatre. This movie was gruesome and boring. If Molder and Skully had been killed off in this movie, I think we all would have cheered at the end. If this movie was supposed to make us "believe" they were romantically involved, it was more like watching a brother and sister kiss. Sickening and no chemistry between them through out the movie. Keep your money ! ! The story sucks. The most exciting scene was a foot chase for God sake with some hyped up music.… Expand

What a let down. There's nothing X-files in this movie besides Mulder and Scully. Where are the government conspiracies? Where are the sci-fi mysteries? where are the godamn aliens? It's really sad that they released this movie after such a long wait from the fans for a Great X-files come back, they completly missed the mark with this sub-par crime investigation type of movie barely worthy of your average CSI tv show.… Expand

A good movie for X-Files fans... you won't find aliens and conspiracies in it but C.Carter decided to explore and focus on the other great theme of the X-Files TV series, that is the Mulder/Scully relationship. A more complicated and intricated plot would probably have diverted attention from what Chris [Carter] and Frank [Spotnitz] thought had to be the heart of this movie. It's a good old school thriller, surely not as bad as someone is describing it.… Expand

I hesitated seeing this film in the theater, since I was already put off hearing that it's considered a stand alone plot. I waited until last night and rented it. Growing up with the show, by owning and watching every episode countless times and liking the first movie. Even wanting to look like Dana Scully, but have Fox Mulder's "believe" drive, I was completely brokenhearted when I watched this piece of garbage, X-Files: I Want To Believe. I didn't see the Scully I knew with short bright red hair. She didn't even have her "move over. I need answers NOW!" drive. For the first quarter of the movie, Mulder looks like a mountain man with his beard. Who the HELL are these people? They weren't even in character. Then the movie goes on and on with some perverted weirdo with physic abilities. LAME! No drama. No conspiracy. No X. No nothing. It dragged on so much and was so bad that I kept on fast forwarding the movie. And just when you think something is about to happen to the only person in this movie who is in peril. Scully and Skinner burst in but almost without effort and/or lack of surprise. I lost so much respect that I almost can't watch the X-Files seasons that I own anymore. And they were so good that I was actually afraid to go to bed at night thinking that there's an alien or something in my room. But since I watched this horrible movie, I have to laugh sadly knowing that these two characters will never be idolized by me and my fond memories of watching the show anymore. I want to believe that I never saw this.… Expand

Where was the "X"? I thought the X-files was supposed to centre around the paranormal yet that aspect wasn't even a sub-plot. It was a sub-sub plot. As a crime thriller it was an okay film (hence the 5) but it was supposed to be an "X-files" film so, in those terms, I'd give it a 1. It was like watching a Rocky film where there were 10 seconds of boxing at the beginning and 10 seconds somewhere in the middle and then everything else was about something completely unrelated. I don't see how any 'real' X-files fan could rate this highly as it just isn't about the paranormal. Okay crime thriller but about as paranormal as the ham sandwich I am about to eat.… Expand

Good movie. Not great, but good and definitely worth watching. I am a long time X-files watcher and I watched it with my girlfriend who has never watched X-files. My girlfriend even liked it. Probably because there were no aliens in it :). You will feel left with some unanswered questions and a not fully explained plot, but a sense that you know where Scully and Mulder are these days and an entertaining murder-mystery.… Expand

Finally a sequel! But like me, a lot has changed in the interim. It didn't feel like a true X-File movie, more like a low budget B-side lost episode of the show. It's all there though: Scully's skepticism, Mulder's poster and seeds, a pedophile with blood seeping eyes. All in all, it is worthy of a viewing (once).

An awesome character study. No, the movie wasn't perfect, but as a huge fan of the show, I was just glad to have them back.

I have no idea what the critics are talking about.... This movie was among the best X-Files plots.

I give it a 4.5 for all the "x-phile" moments it gave us, other than that a 2, And the 2 was for production alone. This was a weak ass CSI episode, not an X File. Chris Carter and D Duchovny, come one, please. You used to be beautiful, now its a f****** joke. Thanks a lot.

To truly enjoy this movie, ignore the reviews and don't set the bar too high in your mind. Realize that I Want To Believe is simply an extended episode from the television series. Having said that, it was a damn good episode. So nice to see the gang back together.

The first viewing, because I had followed teh show so well in it's time, had me feeling very odd indeed, agreeing with a number of fans that because it was totally against supposition and expectation, that I did not know how to process it. When I viewed it a second time, a habit from the very detailed series viewing, and as a student of literature and writing at college, I came away witha certain twittering in my heart. The plot of the paranormal phenomene was only a gimmick for exploration into the characters and faith, and how to deal with darkness and life. I think that so many reveviewers of movies and television have been somewhat dumbed down by conspicuous melodramatic, viciously obvious or crass movie fare that subtlety, lack of righteousness, personal doubt and struggle, so much the everyday, are beyond their minds. No one seems to want to think, and that is why people are so negative of this rather beautiful tale. The X Files promotes that life is not an area of duality, black or white, but an entire realm of shades of grey that few of us want to admit, because not having a camp where everyone sits to justify our rather horrible tendencies and behaviors toward one another is scary. Perhaps if there were more people courageous enough to be unique, humble people like Mulder and Scully, and not hide behinde conformity and how intelligence is not good for us, then perhaps they would understand what this type of entertainment is actually trying to do.… Expand

I was a fan of the show but this movie was very weak. The story doesn't have any aliens. It is anti-catholic with molesters as priests and priests who want to deny life saving stem cell treatment. The dialouge us silly and the way they catch the bad guys is dumb.

It was like a long and not that interesting episode. But it's nice to know how it all ends since there probably won't be another one since this one sucked so much.

I've been an X-Files fan since its inception. The stories were so intertwined and fascinating. Unfortuntately this film doesn't hold a candle to the tv series or the first movie which was very well done and in keeping with the spirit on the series. What I missed most was the relationship between Mulder and Scully. There was no witty banter, no both of them in the same groove. The story was also quite dark and sinister just for the sake of being dark; not mysterious and clever. If you didn't see Chris Carter's name on the credits you wouldn't think he was the director. It just didn't feel like his story. I'm going out to the video store to rent season one and relive the series in all its glory.… Expand

This falls FLAT. This plays like a very watered-down csi episode. 5 of us fans all went and were all disappointed in the outcome. The story is passable but not really explained and many loose-end and holes flow throughout. I thought the cinematography was good but the direction was poor. It feels like a sleepy late night USA movie where the characters you adored forgot who they were and acted out a story that forgot what show this was written for. Slow, lame, and no soul. I will continue to love the show but the movie turns into a fiasco after 20 minutes.… Expand

A movie that leaves you thinking and researching the clues that are given. It needs to be seen more than once to truly get the message intended. Chris Carter delivered a movie that only people who like to think, and not just be entertained, would appreciate. "Don't give up" on hopes of a third movie that may let all of us see "The Truth."

This latest installment of the X-files is mildly entertaining at best. Mulder is on the verge of wreckless obsession in the movie and Scully is an emotional mess (was she PMSing throughout the script??). The most serious problem with I Want To Believe is how much it deviates from the classic X-file code. There isn't supposed to be a conclusive ending! You are supposed to be left with a sense of longing to know more. That didn't happen here. Worst of all is the lack of sexual tension between the former agents. The bed scene was a homerun for crossing lines. All in all, more of a horror flick with mediocre lead acting than the smart and tantalizing X-files we all had come to love… Expand

Certainly not what I expected. I am not an X-Phile (I have occasionally seen the show in syndication), but I was surprised at how involved I became with the two characters. Anderson and Duchovny are easily the sexiest couple I have seen at the movies this summer. Note to Hollywood: second sexiest couple was Harrison Ford and Karen Allen. Sometimes younger ain't better.

At its best, The X-Files required its audience to think. This film is no different. I've seen it three times so far, and with each viewing, I see more depth and nuance than before. "I Want to Believe" doesn't have a 50-foot-tall monster nor dazzing special effects. IWTB is a small, intimate film that explores an X-File through the eyes of the more mature and settled Mulder and Scully. This IS a film for the fans, without a doubt. But casual and new viewers, the ones I met anyway, left the theater saying they liked it. SEE it. If you've seen it, SEE it again. It's worth it.… Expand

A really good thriller in the vein of but not overly X-Files. Mulder and Scully have changed over the past 6 years. I am eager for more films both like in a new direction like this and dealing more with traditional X-Files material

as a true X-Phile from the 90's, I was massively disappointed. Not only was there not real story or plot, but the pining between Mulder and Scully really became monotonous. The movie was just boring. none of the mythology, creepiness, science fiction that made the X-Files fresh and different. A two-headed dog. Big wow.

I thought this was a great return for the x-files. It felt just like an early series episode - dark and creepy. Scully's storyline is very compelling in my opinion and Gillian Anderson stole every scene she was in.

Utterly disappointing after the10 year wait for a sequel. I would have gotten more satisfaction watching the paint dry on my walls than sitting through this weak story line. Gay priest? Really Chris Carter? It took you 10 years to come up with this? I’m actually embarrassed to post this on the internet knowing xzibit pimped me outta $10!!!!!

"Unlike the previous comments, I thought this was plenty scary. I was jumping all over the place in my seat at unexpected moments. And it had more gore than I'm used to with the XFiles cos on tv they had to be tamer (back when XFiles was on anyway). So, some of the movie was watched thru the fingers of my hands :-) I was with my 29 yr old nephew who loved those same parts of the film that I refer to above. So, to a 29 yr old guy, it wasn't tame. This may not matter to someone who didn't watch or wasn't an avid fan of the show, but I loved how they seamlessly integrated and re-introduced a lot of that which was a part of Mulder and Scully's persona on the show. For instance: Mulder still eats sunflower seeds. Mulder's sister is mentioned more than once. The poster "I Want to Believe" is still in his office. Scully still wears her cross necklace. The quick repartee particularly from Mulder. Scully (Anderson) and Mulder (Duchovny) still have that same chemistry--only deeper. I did think the storyline was gruesome but then so were some of the stories of the XFiles. There was plenty of "Scully and Mulder" and their relationship to each other. I loved seeing them work together and where they are personally these 6 years later. That said, this wasn't quite up to Chris Carter and writers best story. I'd give it an 8 1/2 out of 10 stars. (So, I've rounded up and rated this at 9 stars.) I always loved the music on the show and was not disappointed this time either. There is one scene, within the first 20 min of the film, where the XFiles theme music was the instrument to a spontaneous, unexpected laugh (really laugh) out loud response. Scully and Mulder are about to enter an FBI office. On the left of the door is a picture of President Bush and on the right of the door is a picture of J. Edgar Hoover. You'll have to see the movie to understand why it was so funny :-) Bring on more XFiles movies, Chris Carter! Nancy" p.s. Another reviewer referred to the ridiculousness of "the psycho-religious conversation about believing in things that aren't what they seem.." That's pure XFiles: two sides of the same coin. Mulder view and Scully's view of the same topic. Each sees a different side. Classic XFiles!"… Expand

A good character driven story and brave move by Chris Carter to not fill it with Aliens and CGI. Great to see Duchovney and Anderson reprise their roles - watching you guys again was like enjoying a fine vintage wine. Looking forward to more X-Files stories

Ignore what a majority of the critics are saying. This is a VERY solid thriller. It is well paced and very engaging. David and Gillian are fantastic as always but Gillian is the real star. Scully is given some really interesting story lines. Whether you are a fan or not this is a very entertaining pic and compared to a lot of trash that has been on our screens this year you could do a LOT worse than the new X Files film. A very mature film... maybe that's why people aren't responding. Not enough explosions and car chases?… Expand

A very good follow up to the series, not as good as it could have been, but nowhere near as bad

Awesome movie. I'm gonna watch it again .. and one more thing .. wai for what comes after the credit,DON'T LEAVE THE CINEMA!

If Mulder and Scully had been replaced with two different characters, I Want to Believe could easily have been transformed into a run-of-the-mill thriller. . .which would only have interested me enough to catch on video. Likewise, leaving the Mulder and Scully characters intact but cutting some of the flab from IWTB’s running time would have resulted in an absorbing X Files television episode. Which obviously would only have merited viewing on television. While there’s nothing terribly wrong with this workman-like big screen adaptation of the X-Files, it did nothing to thrill me. I must have been more bored than I felt because I was driven to distraction by 1) the glue holding David Duchovny’s beard on; 2) the uncanny resemblance Scully’s patient bore to Rumer Willis and 3) where HAD I seen that actor who plays one of the villains (Memento, as it turns out). I also thought the movie suffered from Shyalamanism in that the writers strove a bit too hard and reached a bit too far to push a theme of divine synchronicity. This added an overall hokeyness to the movie that overrode the ambiguous flavor of the X Files in its heyday. As a merely casual watcher of the show I may be incorrect in saying that it appears that the writers apparently decided to fast forward past the thrilling moment when the sexual tension between Scully and Mulder finally broke. If so, that’s like filming a Gilligan’s Island movie that shows everyone back at home but skips the part when they escaped the island. In any event, considering how many Duchovny-as-Mulder fueled fantasies I enjoyed back in the day, I was pretty flabbergasted by how thoroughly unmoved the Big Kiss scene of I Want to Believe left me. Maybe Duchovny spent all his libido on his extra-curricular sex addiction? There are so many amazingly elaborate and plausible conspiracy theories available on the internet that I wondered why Chris Carter aimed so low with his storyline. He could’ve literally hit the ball out of the park with a movie that threw these nineties characters into today’s real-life hodgepodge of post-911, pre-2012 high weirdness.… Expand

Carter should have brought more of the original cast back at least those he didn't kill off, why not Patrick and Gish? Duchovney and Anderson were wonderful they have great chemistry! carter used all his best ideas for episodes of the series. I still enjoyed it.

A great character study about Mulder & Scully, lost in a world of chaos and despair where they represent the hint of a long gone, somewhat magical, better time. That may not be what you expect from The X-Files however. Which only means that you've forgotten the show's one and only promise : expect the unexpected! A very smart script whose many elements all mirror and comment each other.

Ummm.....did I watch the same movie as all of you? Just because it has "x-files" in front of it does not make it a good movie. This was awful! I enjoyed the first movie but this was rubbish. It was a twisted episode of C.S.I. with the actors from the X-files in it. This should never have been made. Holes after holes in the plot (if you can call it that). Where is the conspiracy, the intrigue...it's not here.… Expand

What a load of crap. I very much enjoyed the series on TV but this second film has killed the franchise. The parallel disjointed plot lines served no purpose other than to remind us that Scully is a doctor. The reference to stem cell therapy was an over-romanticized attempt to sell the audience on its merits. There was no character development for the villains so why would we care or be scarred. The on-again, off-again, on-again, off-again, on-again romance/drama was contrived. Scully's reason for stepping away from the relationship made about as much sense as a tweener's twitter about why she doesn't have the nerve to have her bff tell the new boy Spaulding that she kinda, sorta, maybe likes him. I only have myself to blame. I've told myself I would not see movies that score under 55. But forgetting this and hoping to recapture the enjoyment of watching the series I took the BlueRay DVD off the shelf at the DVD store only to plunge my Saturday night into a two hour stretch of high resolution boredom.… Expand

I have watched every episode of every season of the television show. When I heard the this movie was going to be considered a stand alone plot that had nothing to do with the Conspiracy Theories that were at the heart of the show (and thus would not involve Aliens) I was automatically disinterested. That is, quite simply, a stupid idea, especially when true fans have waited for so long. So when it came out on DVD, I rented it with low expectations. But even by those standards, I was still disappointed. This was not an interesting or engaging plot. And it moved at such a slow pace. Even if they would have fit it down to be an episode of the television series- it would have moved faster- but it would not have been considered anywhere near their best material. I just don't understand how Chris Carter thought this was a good idea. I kept nodding off near the end, and quite honestly, don't know exactly how the movie ended. I was too bored to rewatch what I had missed. I give it a 4 because I thought parts of it were interesting (although very little) and David Ducovney and Gillian Anderson did good jobs with what they had to work with.… Expand

m & s should really retire. it is still an x-file why x-files i want to believe didn't go straight to dvd. pls don't destroy the original TV series with film sequels; sometimes less is more.

I saw this last night at the 12:01 screening--I'm not the most die-hard X-Philer, but I did pretty faithfully watch the show for most of it's run. I was both excited and curious to see what they were going to do with this long-awaited second movie, and I have to say, the first word that came to my mind after it was over was...odd. It didn't really exceed my expectation because it completely circumvented them. It wasn't in any way what I was expecting to see, and while this fact has some up in arms, I think I actually really liked the movie. There's a lot of analysis and evalution I could go into to defend this (I'm sure there will much argument on all message boards), but I'm just going to say this: I liked this movie because it's like the X-Files used to be when it was at it's best--a simple morality tale with convoluted morals. Did it need to be on the big screen? I don't know. But it seems like a bit of an exploration that they've been wanting to do, and if you think about it, when they weren't seeking out answers about extraterrestrial life, they were exploring the depths of the other supernatural aspect of our lives: faith and religion. I think we just forgot about that part of the show.… Expand

It may not be Batman, but an intimate and dark character drama provides a welcome change from every other movie on the block where the main protagonist can fly, bend steel and be completely uninteresting. This coming from a viewer who isn't even an X-files fanboy, just a casual viewer of a great show.

Coulda been great -- but Chris Carter couldn't let go of the dark crap that ruined the last couple years of the series. Too bad.

Clearly a film that should not have been released during the slam-bang summer season, this second X-Files feature is a dual character study folded within a small thriller plot. While screenwriters Chris Carter and Frank Spotnitz have the courage to take their protagonists forward in time and age their relationship, it clearly was a narrative move that many filmgoers and film critics were not expecting. Having read all of the reviews here at Metacritic, few critics have reviewed the film for what it actually does on screen, and many make use of generic and superficial knowledge of the tv show in rendering judgement. (Richard Corliss, for example, claims Scully's pregnancy was the result of in vitro fertilization and anyone with a passing familiarity with that major series plot line knows that it wasn't--in typical X-Files fashion--that straight-forward.) Of the negative reviews Lowery's is best. As a post-script, I can't help but wonder if Fox and the producers' decision to screen the film later for critics wasn't a very, very bad move. 99% of the time when studios do they are trying to circumvent critics. Critics hate that, and this move may have been like dangling raw meat in some water filled with piranhas.… Expand

This awful movie just ruined my favorite TV show of the 90s...

Denser, more complex and disturbing, and more intimate than the majority of critics are saying.

Movie was as good as expected, knowing it was going to be an individual x-file instead of continuing on with the alien conspiracy. I think fans still will be searching for answers after this movie... or has the alien conspiracy plot been thrown out? This film does not answer that question, but does succeed as a great "extended" version of the tv show.

Where is the big epic conclusion we were all expecting? Judging from the tiny amount fo advertising for this film, I was very much led to believe that was the direction the film was taking, and was sorely disappointed. I am a huge fan of the TV series, and I greatly enjoyed the first full-length movie. This movie was a joke, it did no more then give us insight to the complexities of Mulder and Scully's relationship, and not the the "bigger picture".… Expand

Consider me a big X-Files fan saddened. This movie had me wondering when it was going to end. It was basically a bad episode (with no X-file!) extended to the point of 'driving nails in your head' boredom. The plot was lacking, the acting was lacking, the love interest was more-than-poorly done, and, most of all, the religious tie-ins were about as lame as they could possibly have been. I want to believe in a lot of things, but I have a hard time believing this was even a decent flick.… Expand

Better than the reviews indicate or the returns at the box office. This is a grown up movie at the core ... not a comic book movie. Maybe this is why it didn't meet peoples' expectations.

The story is so disappointing to X-Files fans. It played out like an ordinary episode of an X-Files. If this was an ordinary episode of the X-Files it wouldn't even be in the top 20.

Awesome monster of the week movie as promised! Definetley gives a nice edge to the X-files, and is based of real experiments that the Russians had carried out called "Experiments in the Revival of Organisms". Cant wait for #3!!!!

Excellent movie for the thinking man.

If you were a fan of the show, you will enjoy this movie. It perfectly resolves the Scully and Muldur relationship, which is what the show was really about. The movie also takes chances by starting off a number of years in the future with significant changes in the lives of each character. I did not perform well at the box office, likely because it was a not the science fiction movie people expected, rather a relationship movie with a science fiction subplot. Well done and a perfect resolution to the relationship. NOT a Sci-Fi Adventure flick.… Expand

I was very disappointed at this attempt to answer questions for the faithful tv show viewers and satisfy those who are not. It seemed to make things less clear and more complicated. Even I was getting sick of Scully never seeing anything.