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The series has always had the feeling and production quality of a feature film every single week. So the move to the big screen just seemed to be a natural transition. After two hours of going through the action, suspense and romance, I was definitely happy and pleased that the show translates *so well* to feature film just like another famous science fiction TV show.
Of course, the most noticeable flaw I saw right away was how the storyline did not come anywhere close to the Season 5 finale, The End. The only similarity between them is that The X-Files are closed. Agents Spender & Fowley, Gibson Praise, the office fire...none of these elements were even mentioned. Thus, continuity has been compromised so as to try to deliver this excellent program to the masses. I personally think it worked.
What got my attention right away was how Mulder and Scully were so comfortable with each other from the very first scene. The intimacy factor between them that is shown on a weekly basis multiplied ten-fold on the silver screen. The electricity, chemistry or whatever you want to call it was very evident from the start. I loved the playfulness between them as they have to endure a mundane bomb search to fulfill their mundane duties outside of the X-Files. But they seemed *happy* because they were doing it *together*. True, Mulder would have rather had a run-in with an alien bounty hunter than his current assignment, but the fact that he is still partnered with Scully helped alleviate some of the sting of being reassigned.
Speaking of their assignment, this was the first snag that caught my attention. Why were they in Dallas? True, they were no longer on the X-Files, but there was no explanation as to the reasoning behind their current assignment. Based on the OPR hearings shortly after the bombing, A.D. Skinner is still their superior, so it seems illogical that they would be sent to Dallas to investigate a bomb threat on a federal building when there was obviously a regional office in Dallas with *plenty* of agents.
Season 2 was the last time we've seen our duo in front of the Office of Professional Review (OPR). It's obvious that Skinner had been protecting them from "upper management" all this time. Yet, from the anxiety-ridden look he showed on the panel, *nothing* will save Mulder and Scully from being separated. And it was just another testament to the Mulder/Scully relationship that they were placing blame on themselves rather than the other as noted by Skinner himself. He isn't clueless as they are. And why does Mulder have a penchant for being late? It's not as though he doesn't have a nice watch to wear so he knows what time it is. The look that Scully gave him as he entered the hearing was a mixture of anger, frustration, nervousness and relief. With one look from Scully, Mulder already knew that they were in *big* trouble.
The scene in the waiting area outside of the hearing already showed some foreshadowing. Scully did not look as though she wanted to fight the bureaucratic system anymore. She appeared resigned, which is something that Scully has never shown, and Mulder definitely noticed. For the most part, he believes that the truth will come out regarding the bombing, but Scully sees it otherwise. She knows that they are easily dispensable to the F.B.I. for their past run-ins with protocol and Mulder's reputation for disobedience. The Bureau needs a scapegoat so as to avert the disaster away from them. Enter Mulder and Scully. She realizes that this is a fork in the road of life and has to make a choice that is *killing* her. Because that would mean two things: quit the F.B.I. and leave Mulder. Neither of which she desires to do.
An episode with MulderAngst or ScullyAngst is usually a very good one, and the movie definitely knows how to play up to those strengths. We find Mulder at a bar drinking, which is so un-Mulderlike. Yet, when he is about to lose everything, what the hell? Of course, he has been spotted by Dr. Kurtzweil, who claims to have known his father. How many more people are going to tell Mulder that he is like his father? It's not the most endearing thing to him, since he knows that his father consciously gave up Samantha for a cause that is so insiduously evil. But Dr. Kurtzweil entices Mulder's curiosity and prompts him to investigate the explosion further and to pick up someone on the way.
Thus, we are privy to a very private scene with Scully in her bedroom. Even though it is 3a.m. (as Mulder states), she is nowhere close to dreamland. The past few days' events have left a very sour taste in her mouth. She is contemplating a difficult choice that involves not only her career but also her heart. This is not the same Scully from the Season 3 episode "Blessing Way" where she wanted to continue Mulder's work, because she thought he was dead. No, in this situation, she does not want to continue *at all* if she were to be separated from the man that she has already considered to be more important to her than just a partner. With a very slow panning shot to her face and the reminiscent Season 1 music in the background, Gillian Anderson conveys all of these swirling emotions without ever uttering a spoken word. Wow.
And even though her life is starting to unwind right before her eyes, Scully does not in the least show disagreement or hesitance about travelling with Mulder to who knows where. However, she does wonder if his drunken and unannounced visit to her doorstep had carnal implications as well. But her loyalty is firmly intact even if it appeared at first that she went along to appease Mulder's curiosity. Their examination of the bodies proved to be a medical mystery that Scully's own curiosity was piqued.
Their Texas endeavor could only be described as "eventful." The scenes involving the tankers, the bees and the helicopters were straight out of any episode, but brought to exciting, cinematic life. They were touching upon the overall scheme of the Consortium's plans, and the reason behind the bombing. The tried-and-true Mulder/Scully exchanges were in full force during these scenes. As danger upon danger kept escalating as they approached the corn field in the middle of the desert and the large, white domed buildings, they just kept on going.
And the bee scene was incredible! I couldn't imagine doing that scene more than once, but David and Gillian had to endure the filmmaking process. Also, the black helicopters chasing them through the cornfield was exciting as well. It was absolutely riveting, particularly when Mulder was screaming out Scully's name when they were separated. The concern in his voice for Scully's whereabouts overcame any concerns for his own safety.
The pacing of these scenes kept the story flowing nicely along though the uncovering of the conspiracy left something to be desired. Why in the world would corn be growing in the desert? Wouldn't that be a bit suspicious for anyone who happened to be flying over? I can't even begin to understand how they could grow any kind of plant in desert conditions much less what that had to do with the bees. So many questions and not very many were answered.
Then, we have to endure the continued torture of Scully at the hands of the OPR. She is already late for her hearing, and trying to provide evidence to a case that is considered closed does not make her chances of staying with Mulder very high. But as Skinner had already clued us in at the first hearing, they never had a chance. The OPR were going to separate the two and ensure that the X-Files would remain closed.
Defeated, Scully decides to go through with her heartwrenching decision to separate herself from the two loves of her life: the F.B.I. and Mulder. Now the "Scene in the Hallway" has so many nuances involved that I talked about it in more detail here.
Even though Mulder almost had his brains blown out, his primary concern is the whereabouts of Scully. This is where anyone who is not familiar with the series or a faithful NoRoMo must wonder why Mulder is willing to risk his career, his life and the fate of the world (just to be melodramatic) for the safe return of his partner. I don't know, maybe *love*? He has already shown in the past five seasons that he would do anything it takes to save Scully, even sell his soul to the devil. But the movie highlighted the romance that has been eluded to throughout the series, particularly during Season 5.
It is interesting that the Consortium would again take Scully. I liked that Strughold commented the obvious: "...take away what (Mulder) holds most valuable. That with which he can't live without..." Just like Skinner, they see the connection between the two as being "a bit more" than just close friends or partners. Thus, through some intense planning and even more intensive monitoring, they somehow intercepted Mulder's call to 911 and grabbed Scully. Of course, how did they even know that she would need an ambulance? I don't think they train bees to wait around for a whole day to sting someone. If they do, they sure would get top billing over Seigfried and Roy in Las Vegas. Yet, it does happen, but it's hard to believe that the Consortium would think Scully's capture would deter Mulder from finding her. That would mean they *underestimated* her importance to him. How silly of them.
So we see Well-Manicured Man help Mulder by revealing the Consortium's plan and give him the coordinates to Scully's whereabouts and then gets blown up. Again, we have to suspend disbelief and just trust that Mulder knows people in diverse places that can fly him to Antarctica at a moments notice, give him an electronic longitude/latitude locator *and* the keys to a top-of-the-line snow car. Sure. Fine. Whatever.
Anyway, we do see the incredible extent of the Project as Mulder finds not only Scully, but hundreds of other involuntary human hosts. Absolutely mind-boggling to even perceive anything like it much less *participate* so voluntarily as the Consortium do. The idea of aliens colonizing Earth and using humans as their own little cocoons to perpetuate their species is sickening. I remember when I first saw the movie, "Alien." I lost many a nights sleep. And to see poor Scully being prepared to become another human host was painful. It's a credit to Mulder that he did not linger on the horror of Scully's condition and concentrated on getting her out of there.
The special effects used in these scenes were eye-poppingly realistic. I could feel Mulder's terror at having to escape from the clutches of one of the aliens. Then seeing how the entire snowscape around them was literally crumbling under their feet was literally a huge adrenaline rush. Of course, Scully has to take *that* moment to be unconscious, but at least we see Mulder visually verify a belief that he thoroughly abandoned as a hoax during Season 5. The look on his face is like a young boy discovering new treasures in his parents' attic. But then, Mulder falls unconscious, and Scully awakes. These two have such wonderful timing, don't they?
Anyway, Scully knows that they have to stay warm or else freeze to death. So reminiscent from "Detour," Scully cradles Mulder's head in her arms. The look on her face shows how greatful she is that the one person she loves would come and rescue her. Too bad that Mulder was unconscious, because Scully must have been thinking of the last time she spent with him prior to her capture. The "moment" in Mulder's hallway was still unresolved, but very much evident in her mind. There *definitely* would not have been any bees to worry about.
Again, we need to suspend disbelief and trust that Mulder informed someone to come looking for them if they didn't hear from him after a certain timeframe. They are back in D.C. and Scully is again in front of the OPR. However, her attitude has taken a much more aggressive approach. She does not care that the board cannot fathom the report Scully made. Instead, she places the vial with the dead bee that stung her on the table, informs the board that the FBI does not have "an investigative unit qualified to pursue the evidence in hand," and turns to walk out the door. Go Scully!
The scene at the reflecting pool must have been one of those dailies that executive producer, Frank Spotnitz, commented on where Mulder and Scully looked like a romantic couple. Nothing said between them was different from whatever was stated earlier in the movie, but it was *who* said what that was interesting. Mulder tells Scully to leave him and go be a doctor, which is what Scully stated to him right after the first OPR hearing. While Scully sings a different tune: "I can't. I won't. Mulder, I'll be a doctor, but my work is here with you now.... If I quit now, they win." Thus, she is reiterating the same points from both "Memento Mori" and from what Mulder told her in his hallway. At least for the movie, their relationship has come full circle.
Of course, we knew that the X-Files would be reopened. What would the point of the movie be otherwise? So for X-Philes, it was a cinematic treat with plenty of Mulder/Scully eye candy. Also, the movie did two main things: it showcased and somewhat explained the overall plans of the Consortium and helped evolve the ever-changing relationship of Mulder and Scully that has reverberated throughout Season 6. For first-time viewers or new fans, those same things compelled them to watch, while the other compelled them to keep watching. I'll leave it up to you on which one is which.
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