After a nine-year original series and a two-year relaunch, The X-Files remains one of the most influential sci-fi shows. Mulder’s childhood fascination with the supernatural, combined with Scully’s valid skepticism, created a magical dynamic still seen on television today and the screen chemistry of David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson only fueled that fire. Since The X Files has become an enormous success, it’s no surprise that two feature films have been made: The X The Files: Fight the Future and The X Files: I Want To Believe.
Since the second film came out ten years after the first, they have each placed Scully and Mulder at vastly different times in their lives. While Fight the Future in 1998 focused heavily on expanding the show’s mythology, in 2008, the dynamic duo reunited on I Wants to Beleive after cracking up with the FBI and each other. Therefore, the different assumptions of the films make comparison difficult. But when it comes to which X-Files movie is better, there is still a clear winner, at least according to both critics and fans.
What is X-Files: Fight the Future?
Fight the Future tries to bridge between seasons five and six of the series and follows Scully and Mulder as they investigate a bombing after being removed from the X-Files of the same name. Agents, however, returned to familiar territory after encountering more excellent government coverage to hide the truth about the Earth’s extraterrestrial colonization. Although Fight the Future expands the overall mythology of the series, it is relatively independent in appealing to both hardcore fans and X-Files beginners.
What is X-File: Do I Believe?
I Want to Believe was released six years after the X-Files finale. After being kidnapped by an FBI agent and a former Catholic priest – now convicted of pedophilia – who claims to have mental visions for the agent, Scully hires Mulder as a counselor based on her experience with intuition and everything. ‘occult.
In addition to resolving the issue, the film focuses on Scully and Mulder’s reunion. It deals with the consequences of their complex and interconnected past. Unlike Fight the Future, I Want to Beleive works independently of the series’ legend and follows a more “monster of the week” approach.
Fighting for the Future vs. I want to believe: Which X-Files movie wins?
Despite mixed reviews, Fight the Future was a successful product. His success is also reflected in Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic results, averaging 63.5 among critics. Viewers rated the film significantly higher on both platforms, probably because the film touches on the show’s overall mythology.
At this point in the series’ history – between seasons 5 and 6 – the demands for a romance between Scully and Mulder were at a record high, and the myth continued to prevail. Therefore, Fight the Future offered promising public answers, even if it did not succeed. However, creator Chris Carter’s desire to make the film available to X-Files beginners has damaged the plot for some critics, though most consider it a successful balancing act.
I Want to Believe, on the other hand, was a critical failure. Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic had a disappointing average of 37, with many critics disapproving of the film’s confusing and frustrating story.
It seems that Carter’s desire to have I Want to Believe as a standalone thriller made the film feel more like an episode of X-File and, unfortunately, an attack that was not so well developed. But critics praised Duchovny and Anderson’s steadfast chemistry. However, in recent seasons, The X-Files has disappointed many fans and left many indifferent to a reboot film.
However, The X-Files: Fight the Future remains the best X-Files movie. It gains a unique advantage because of its narrower history and its link to the show. It also benefited from the “right time and place” result. When The X-Files was released in 1998, they continued to dominate pop culture.
The majority reported a decline in the quality of the series around season 7. On the other hand, I Want to Believe came mainly to the fans who wanted to feel a little nostalgia. That’s why Fight the Future is the favorite movie for viewers who need a little more.
