The are basically two very different types of X-Files episodes, the mythology shows, that make up the main story arc about the government conspiracy to hide an alien invasion, and the monster-of-the-week shows that stand on their own and feature a wide variety of paranormal situations. The monster episodes are also quite often very funny.

The first X-Files movie falls into the first category, and because of the fact that it was meant to fit in between seasons five and six, it did not really work as a movie.

I Want To Believe shows Mulder and Scully several years after the X-Files division has been disbanded. Mulder has been disgraced and lives in isolation, Scully is a physician at a Catholic hospital. When a defrocked priest claims to have visions that could help save the live of a missing FBI agent, the Bureau calls them back in.

This one is definitely a monster show: There are no aliens, and the mythology is not even mentioned (which would have been difficult after the apparent dead end at which the final episode arrived, what with almost everyone dead and the destruction of humanity imminent). Most importantly, the film stands on its own: You do not need to know anything about the X-Files, no other characters from the series other than Mulder and Scully (and a bit of Skinner) appear, and the plot is in its entirety contained in the film's 104 minutes, including a real conclusion, something that many Hollywood movies aiming for a sequel intentionally obmit. On the other hand, there is not too much fodder for the X-Philes, although the depiction of the relationship between Mulder and Scully is nicely done.

It is not a funny one, though, quite the opposite. There are also no computer-generated monsters, massive special effects, larger-than-life supervillains, or a great many action sequences. It is a serious thriller, with just a sprinkle of the paranormal.

7 points