The X-Files: Fight the Future (Blu-ray)

Tying in with the home video release of The X-Files - I Want to Believe and coinciding with its tenth anniversary, 20th Century Fox has given the first X-Files feature film, subtitled Fight the Future, the Blu-ray treatment.

While the story involves The X-Files’ myth-arc about extraterrestrials and the shadow government known as the Syndicate, series creator Chris Carter, who co-produced and wrote the screenplay, does a good job walking a fine line of furthering the series story along while providing enough information to not completely lose those new to The X-Files. Unfortunately, his heavy hand is felt forcing the plot along, greatly diminishing the logic and suspense.

The film opens in North Texas, 35,000 B.C. as two Neanderthals track a creature to a cave, which turns out to be an alien. When they kill the alien, what appears to be blood at first is actually an extraterrestrial parasite that X-philes will know as “black oil,” which it resembles in appearance as was foreshadowed during the opening credits. Cut to present day, and a young boy discovers the same cavern and is infected with the black oil along with some firemen who attempted to rescue him. They are all whisked away under secrecy.

Fight the Future takes place in the series chronology between the fifth and sixth seasons. At the end of Season Five, the X-Files were shut down by the agency, which is why we find agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) assigned to a bomb threat in Dallas under Special Agent in Charge Darius Michaud (Terry O'Quinn). For reasons not clear except to the writers, Mulder on a hunch decides to search another building where he finds a bomb. Michaud says he will handle the bomb and orders everyone to leave. However, the audience sees that Michaud allows the explosion to happen.

Back in Washington D.C., Mulder and Scully come under review because there were bodies in the building, which it turns out were the people infected by black oil. Scully decides if given a transfer she will quit the Bureau and go back into medicine. Mulder is frustrated and gets drunk at a bar where he meets Dr. Alvin Kurtzweil (Martin Landau), who provides clues to some of what was happening in Dallas.

Mulder and Scully begin their investigation while the audience stays one step ahead through revelations of the Syndicate’s plan, which is awfully bizarre. They are in cahoots with the aliens who are going to use the black oil to turn humans into hosts as an alien gestates inside. However, the Syndicate is working on an antidote, but it’s not clear what good it would do to be the only humans on the planet if it’s overrun with aliens. Some dangerous predicaments take place, but since Season Six was already planned, and aired back in the fall of 1998, the viewer knows the events will wrap up nice and neat.

It was good to see a giant-size version of The X-Files attempted but the story’s fun and intriguing moments are countered by nonsensical ones, resulting in the film being a bit of a disappointment overall. Too often, Mulder is unfortunately pointed in the right direction by deus ex machina. How Kurtzweil knows what he knows is unexplained, and it’s terribly convenient for someone in the Syndicate to have a change of heart and help Mulder. The big escape during the ending was a little ridiculous, especially with Scully conveniently being too weak to turn her head and see what Mulder does.

The video is given a 1080p AVC MPEG-4 transfer and is presented in 2.35:1. Like the TV series, the cinematography makes good use of darkness, shadows, and diffusion in the atmosphere, which can affect the clarity of images, but works within the context of the film. Still some scenes deliver very fine detail, such as the texture of Mulder’s shirt. There were slight changes in skin tones. The scenes shot during the third act to simulate Antarctica don’t hold up well in high definition as the actors are clearly in a green screen.

The audio DTS HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack is put to good use with the action. The helicopters sweep through the system and the explosions are powerful. The levels are mixed well because when the scenes only contain dialogue there’s no need to adjust the volume. Mark Snow’s dramatic score stands out as an integral part of the storytelling by conveying the mood well.

The Blu-ray is packed with Special Features. There are two commentary tracks: the original commentary with Carter and director Rob Bowman from the previous DVD release and a BonusView picture-in-picture commentary with Carter, Bowman, co-author Frank Spotnitz, and co-producer Daniel Sackheim, which is also available as an audio track. There are two making-of features: “The Making Of The X-Files Movie” hosted by Mitch Pileggi from the previous release and “Blackwood: The Making of The X-Files: Fight the Future” in HD, which claims to be new but the interviews are all from back when the movie was made. The “In-Movie Features” offers BonusView Commentary, Behind-The-Camera material, and Storyboards and Concept Art relevant to the current scene. Other High Definition Special Features cover Visual Effects, Scoring, Gag Reel, Alternate Bee Sting Scene, Theatrical Trailers, and Still Galleries.

X-Files - Fight the Future is for people who enjoy science-fiction conspiracy tales as long as little attention is paid to the plot. However, I would recommend embracing the past and renting the early seasons of the series.

The X-Files: I Want To Believe (Blu-ray)

The X-Files ran for nine seasons on FOX from 1993 to 2002, and mainly detailed the exploits of FBI agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) as they investigated cases involving matters paranormal, extraterrestrial, or other topics familiar to listeners of the nationally syndicated, overnight radio program Coast to Coast AM.

I was introduced to the series in its second season (episode "Duane Barry") and became a fan who tuned in every week. The show went on to become a commercial and critical success. When Mulder was abducted in the finale of season seven, so was my interest. I gave up on season eight shortly after it started. I was familiar with the franchise but had no idea how matters ended, so I was surprised by a couple of items.

I Want To Believe is the second film in the franchise and, like in real time, takes place six years after the series finale, which likely would have been sooner if it hadn’t been for creator Chris Carter’s lawsuit against FOX over syndication issues. Rather than deal with the mythology of the series, it tells what is known as a “Monster of the Week” story. I viewed the extended cut of the film.

When an FBI agent disappears, Father Joe (Billy Connolly), a defrocked pedophiliac priest, claims he is getting visions from God and assists the agency. When Joe leads them to a clue, the lead agent on the case, Dakota Whitney (Amanda Peet), seeks out Mulder, who is a fugitive, to determine if Joe is a fraud. Scully is a hospital physician and she is contacted to assist in finding Mulder and offer him amnesty in exchange for his cooperation. Considering how easily Scully gets him, Mulder obviously wasn't really too high of a priority for them.

Since this is The X-Files, the viewer knows that when Mulder believes Joe and Scully doubts him, it signals Joe is telling the truth. Another familiar plot point is Scully going through another crisis of faith with her Catholicism as she works to save a very sick child named Christian. Her fight with Christian likely plays into some unmentioned abandonment issues she has over her son William, who she gave up for adoption. William only gets a very brief mention from Mulder, who may be the child's father, but then nothing is ever certain in The X-Files.

As more women disappear and the clues pile up, Mulder, Joe, and the FBI work to solve the case. Scully tries to stay out of it, but of course, she can’t. The case is solved, but there’s no explanation as to what was going on with Joe. His connection is revealed, but it and the kidnappings make no sense and seem poorly thought out.

[Skip this paragraph to avoid spoilers]

The women are being taken and killed so their bodies can be used for the transplanting of the head of Tomczeszyn, who is a man. If the viewer can get their own head around the idea of this major sex-change operation, what’s even more astounding is Joe is having these visions because he has a connection with Tomczeszyn. It turns out Tomczeszyn was one of the young boys Joe molested, yet Joe didn’t get visions related to other boys he molested, so apparently both God and screenwriters work in mysterious ways.

I found I Want To Believe unsatisfying. It was basically an average two-hour episode on the big screen, and try as I may, I no longer care about Mulder and Scully. Hardcore fans, known as X-philes, might be happy to learn about the characters’ further adventures together, but if you haven’t given much thought to the pair since the series has been cancelled, there’s nothing here to warrant your attention.

Presented in a widescreen 2.40:1 aspect ratio, the video looked fantastic, especially the wide-open spaces outside of Vancouver where they shot. The blacks have depth, and it is used a lot by the cinematographer and the production design team. The skin tones stayed consistent throughout. A sequence of Mulder running through the city streets was shot on an HD camera and it fit in seamlessly with the rest of the film. I was only aware because it was talked about in the extras.

The 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio on the other hand was so terribly mixed I had to change the volume throughout, which takes away from the involvement in the film. After the booming effects and dialogue of the prologue, I needed to turn the audio up to hear the dialogue. When they whispered, it was a lost cause and the scene had to be replayed -- one of the worst I have experienced on Blu-ray.

X-philes will be very happy with all the extras. A very thorough and insightful commentary track by co-writer/director Carter and co-writer/producer Frank Spotnitz is available as picture in picture or audio only. "In Movie Features" provides access to relevant information, either the commentary track, behind-the-scenes footage, or storyboards and conceptual art, to the scene on screen.

A 90-minute, three-part feature entitled Trust No One: Can The X-Files Remain A Secret? examines the team reuniting after six years, the secrecy involved in the project, and the post-production work. It’s a great look at their creative process, if not slightly odd when you consider they shot a documentary about keeping the film a secret, yet they created one more avenue to talk about the film, which they didn’t want anyone doing.

A timeline of the series is presented with images and film clips. It is absolutely a great resource, even though I would still prefer the information in a book, or maybe that’s just what I am used to. There is also a legitimate gag reel that runs about 10 minutes, unlike most other DVD extras where they only offer up a couple of minutes, a look at the make-up effects, and Carter talking about working on a Green production.

Blu-ray exclusives include access to Agent Dakota Whitney’s files that contain information on Father Joe and other characters with related abilities like Clyde Bruckman and Luther Lee Boggs.

Although I wasn’t able to try it, the disc is D-Box Motion Code capable for those with the equipment to bring their seats into the experience of watching the film.