# X Files, The (1998)

### reviewed by
Jason A. Clark

    The X-Files: Fight The Future

For fans of the hit television series, The X-Files, the new movie The sometimes even ardent fans have turned this once obscure science fiction/drama series into a huge hit for Fox television. No doubt they will do the same for the film. Fortunately for everyone else, one doesn't have to be a fan of the series in order to love this movie.

To tell of the intricacies of the plot would be to reveal more then anyone should know until they see the film. I can safely say that the film begins with agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) working together in an anti-terrorist unit. The agents have been reassigned to this new unit. Their reassignment and the closing of the X-Files themselves do not stop the global conspiracies involving the invasion of our world by aliens, however. Thus is the setup for the film which pits the two agents in the almost impossible task of exposing the conspiracy which could destroy not only their lives but the lives of everyone on the planet as well.

As a fan of the series, my major fear was that the writers would have to "talk down" to me and the other fans in order to explain things that the casual viewer (or moviegoer) wouldn't know. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that the movie was everything the series is and more. The film explains many of the complicated plots that have arisen over the last couple of years, and it does it in such a way as to actually be entertaining to someone who doesn't know anything about the film. The screenplay is brilliant in that it does actually fulfill the impossible promises of the show's creator, Chris Carter, to appease both ardent fan and casual moviegoer. I personally didn't believe it could be done, but, after talking to several others who have seen the film and who are not fans of the weekly series, my suspicions were confirmed and this movie is just plain enjoyable.

I would recommend this film to all fans of the television series as well as sci-fi fans in general. I will even go a step further and recommend this film to anyone who enjoys a good drama or suspense film. This film is entirely self contained and can be enjoyed by all. It is rated PG-13, presumably for violence, but today's audience (even the younger ones) aren't likely to notice the violence or the occasional curse word. As always, I recommend parents actually watch the film before allowing younger children to see it (nightmares of alien invasions and scary black goo invading bodies are a real possibility).

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