I Want to Believe?

I Want to Believe is the subtitle for the new X-Files movie. Somehow, I just can't get excited about it. I am a huge fan of the series. For a while, it was a Sunday night ritual to gather with friends on a Sunday night and watch The Simpsons, whatever happened to follow them that particular season, and The X-Files. We were alternately thrilled and frustrated by the show, which often had original and startling stories, but more often featured an intricate and unfathomable conspiracy plot (to this day, I still haven't figured the whole thing out).

Ten years ago, the first movie (X-Files; Fight the Future) came out amid much hoopla. My friends and I were slightly disappointed to find it little more than a primer for novices, though it did much to advance the conspiracy plot and further established the sexual tension between Agents Mulder (David Duchovny) and Scully (Gillian Anderson). And to be honest, the theater we saw it in (which no longer exists) had AC problems that night, so we were less than comfortable while watching.

Now, six years after the series finale, creator Chris Carter has finally made a new film. One that promises to be more like one of the series' stand-alone episodes which didn't rely on the alien conspiracy plot line. But I keep thinking, "So?"

My friends and I have moved on. Personally, I'm hoping for a Torchwood movie. For those unfamiliar, Torchwood is an exceptionally well-written BBC Sci-Fi series starring the adorably cute (and openly gay) John Barrowman, itself a spin-off of Russell Davies' reignited Dr. Who series. It features smart writing, terrific acting and some of the funniest one-liners in Sci-Fi history. (Ex: "Have you ever eaten alien meat?" "Yes." "How was it?" "He seemed to enjoy it.")

Nineteen years passed between Indiana Jones movies, and while the new one is fun, it doesn't have the same zing as the first three. And director Christopher Nolan had to completely re-invent Batman for his two blockbusters, eight years after Joel Schumaker ruined the franchise.

So, will "X-Philes" flock to see the new movie? Somehow, I doubt it. I'll probably go, but only because I got an AMC gift card from my sister for my birthday, and won't have to actually pay to see it. I'm not exactly chomping at the bit, and if I don't see it on a big-screen, I can certainly wait until it's on DVD. maybe I'll just save my gift card for The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor and Midnight Meat Train (the latest adaptation of a Clive Barker short story). Needless to say, if I do see it, I'll be reviewing it here. But don't hold your breath.