The X-Files

Considering that this feature length adventure with Mulder and Scully arrived after many delays and at a time when, after five seasons, it had set out on its highway to hell, its quality really is a very pleasant surprise. Even the conspiracy theories work to a certain extent and you don’t really need to know your way round the series’ mythology. But still, instead of running around chasing little green men, I’m pretty sure most viewers would have welcomed some self-standing case free of all of that larking about with conspiracies. (10/05/2007)

It's actually a longer episode where the creators try to explain the whole huge conspiracy, but actually nothing changes with this film and it still remains that the truth is out there somewhere and it needs to be constantly discovered and revealed. A very pleasant bonus for fans, and a pretty decent sci-fi with aliens for a regular viewer. (04/07/2014)

About a month ago I resumed my attempt at watching the entire series, and after the fifth season I got to the first feature film, which I had watched once a long time ago and didn’t remember anything about it. I was quite surprised at how watchable it is, even for people unfamiliar with the series. It works as a standalone conspiracy sci-fi film and also as a deepening of the existing mythology. But I think the two protagonists behave a little differently than they were behaving at that stage of the series, though it’s not a big deal. (07/14/2011)

The TV series The X-Files was a phenomenon in its time, to which many people completely succumbed. It was mysterious, enticing, and exciting. The attractive cast and originality inevitably led to addiction, and new seasons were added regardless of the well-known fact that the ideas of the writers must inevitably run out sooner or later. I missed out on the addiction to The X-Files, I only watched two seasons and a few randomly selected episodes, only to realize that, for my taste, it all leans towards insinuations and far-fetched conspiracy theories; that The X-Files series is a project that not only cannot, but must not reveal more than is absolutely necessary, otherwise the magic will irretrievably disappear. I saw the movie in the movie theater and, unlike the series, it immediately had an impact on me and enchanted me. I refuse to claim that it was just an inflated TV episode. The production was definitely of high cinematic quality, and the significantly higher budget and the scale of the screenplay were obvious. However, it is true that the film is firmly embedded in the mythology of the series and it works significantly worse without knowledge of at least one season. Watching it years later did not confirm my high rating of it. The special effects have aged, and it is evident that the creators relied heavily on wild editing in key moments. The ubiquitous conspiracy is exaggerated and some dialogues occasionally provoke a smile. Even within the mysterious world of The X-Files, it is evident that logic was not a priority for the writers. Overall impression: 60%. (11/04/2018)

Excellent. Now I understand why this movie caused such a stir at the end of the millennium. It answers, shows and shocks. Unlike some of the last episodes (of season five) of the series, it grabs the viewer at the very beginning and doesn’t let go until the very end. Powerful locations, an excellent plot, excellent actors in the leading roles. I got precisely what I had hoped for. (10/17/2009)