Six years is an eternity in terms of pop culture, and much has changed since Chris Carter’s TV show about two FBI agents investigating paranormal activities—sceptical Dana Scully (Anderson) and perpetually spooked Fox Mulder (Duchovny)—went off the air in 2002. Most sci-fi geeks have moved on to other burning questions: who’s the final Cylon? For Carter to resurrect the franchise after such a long absence seems odd, especially since this big-screen story isn’t simply a valentine for die-hard X-philes. In-jokes are kept to a minimum, and other than a cameo from a key supporting player, the leads are the only returning characters. Carter apparently wants to believe that the brand still has mass appeal long after the constant water cooler conversation has died down.

In case the subtitle doesn’t tip you off, faith is the theme here. Both former Feds, who come in from the cold to find a missing colleague, are dealing with their own shaky convictions; there’s also a guilt-ridden psychic priest (Connolly) included for good measure. Fans will feel their own belief in the series has been validated by seeing long-standing ambiguities about Mulder and Scully’s relationship confirmed, though casual filmgoers may wonder why they’ve just sat through what’s simply a decent episode writ large.

Director: Chris Carter

Time Out rating: 3/6

Source: Time Out New York Issue 670: April 1-6, 3008