Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

The X-Files: Fight the Future Blu-ray Movie Review

The truth is out there

Reviewed by Ben Williams December 17, 2008

“The X Files” was one of the most groundbreaking and innovative television shows of the 1990s. Creator Chris Carter drew from his love of the classic television mysteries “The Night Stalker” and “The Outer Limits” to create a fascinating story that revolved around rogue FBI agent, Fox Mulder (David Duchovny), and his attempts at investigating cases that involved paranormal activity. The shows brilliant conceit was in pairing Mulder with a skeptical partner, Scully (Gillian Anderson), who served as a voice of reason to his conspiratorial ramblings. The show was steeped in tales involving urban legend, hauntings, monsters, alien abductions and vast governmental conspiracies. Mulder and Scully faced insurmountable odds in every episode as they were shunned by their peers, questioned by their superiors and faced life and death situations on a weekly basis. The X Files: Fight the Future found the two intrepid FBI agents appearing in a feature length film at the height of their television popularity. The film promised answers to many of the show’s lingering questions and succeeded in adding to the show’s rich mythology. Now that the show has faded from TV screens and its legacy has been marred by a number of poor seasons, how does Fight the Future hold up?

Scully listens to yet another long-winded diatribe on sunflower seeds and porn.

Fight the Future follows our heroes, Mulder and Scully, as they attempt to locate the source of a mysterious alien virus that has infected a Texas boy and three firefighters. This unlucky foursome, it seems, was attacked and killed by the notorious “Black Oil” that has played such an integral role in the series’ alien abduction mythology. Mulder and Scully are tipped off that the recent terrorist bombing of the Dallas Federal building had been orchestrated to destroy the bodies of the four victims. It’s a race against the clock as the two partners attempt to discover the meaning behind these mysterious deaths, find the source of the virus and disrupt an impending global catastrophe, before the FBI shuts them down.

To the uninitiated outsider, the plot to Fight the Future must seem pretty convoluted. Admittedly, I was a fan of the show back in its heyday of the late 90s, so I was up on the events that lead up to the film at the time. However, going back and viewing the film again after not having watched “X Files” in many years, left me grasping for certain plot elements that had escaped me over time. As such, much of what takes place in Fight the Future is fodder for fans of the show. I can’t really imagine non-fans being able to find much to like about this movie with all the references to the TV series, continuations of plotlines and characters whom are intended to be immediately ominous despite no back story being given in the film. When the Cigarette Smoking Man (William B. Davis) and the Well-Manicured Man (John Neville) show up, non-fans must have been left scratching their heads.

On the other hand, fans of the show will have a field day with all the juicy developments that take place in Fight the Future. As is the case with the entire series, nothing is really resolved in the film and more questions are raised than answered. At the time it all seemed like the developments of the film were driving the show to a spectacular reveal and an eventual alien invasion. That never happened with the series, so the film just stands as one more piece of evidence in a story that still hasn’t been resolved. Regardless, fans will enjoy the quick cameos from the “Lone Gunmen” and much of the pseudo-romantic interplay between Mulder and Scully. There’s a lot of quick, witty banter between the two and many fans would probably admit that this interplay is a big reason why they stuck with the show for so long. In the end, Fight the Future is a great film for “X Files” fans and probably a bit of a question mark for those unfamiliar with the show.

The X-Files: Fight the Future Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Fox brings X Files: Fight the Future to Blu-ray featuring a nicely rendered 1080p AVC Mpeg-4 transfer, in the film's original aspect ratio of 2.40:1. The film is extremely dark and features very few shots filmed in full sunlight. Fight the Future was filmed in accordance to the look and feel of the "X Files" television show, only with a significant upgrade in film stock as well as a little more forethought given to the overall composition of each scene. The film is a difficult one to pin down. To be sure, this is an excellent transfer devoid of artificial digital picture artifacts like noise or edge enhancement, but it is a rather dreary looking film. Shadow detail is excellent throughout the presentation and black levels are rock solid. Grain is clearly visible as well, albeit in a natural and non-intrusive way. Detail is, at times, lacking, but I feel that this is an intentional side effect of the dark filming conditions. Given the intended look of the film, this Blu-ray presentation accurately delivers the experience that the makers of Fight the Future had intended. It's not demo worthy, but it's accurate. Recommended.

The X-Files: Fight the Future Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Fox has graced Fight the Future with an exceptional DTS HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack. The film is both talky as well as action packed and this lossless track does an outstanding job of handling the highs and lows of the presentation. Dialogue is expertly rendered; even scenes with loads of background noise allow for the dialogue to come through clearly. Action scenes are exciting and create a visceral sonic experience. Helicopters race overhead while car tires squeal and the entire experience is delivered with an abundance of directional effects and nice bass extension. Mark Snow's unique score is also placed perfectly within the overall mix. It's as effective a source of drama and tension within the film as any sound effect. Fight the Future is a huge leap in sound design over what "X Files" viewers have experienced with the show's television broadcasts. This fantastic sonic experience elevates Fight the Future to the realm of true reference grade audio.

The X-Files: Fight the Future Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Here's what's included:

-BonusView picture-in-picture commentary with creator Chris Carter, director Rob Bowman, co-producer/writer Frank Spotnitz and producer Daniel Sackheim (separate audio commentary track also available)
-Blackwood: The Making of The X-Files: Fight the Future featurette in (HD)
-In-Movie Features via BD remote direct access
-Real-time Index (Red Button)
-BonusView Commentary (Green Button)
-Behind The Camera (Blue Button)
-Storyboards and Concept Art (Yellow Button)
-Visual Effects featurette (HD)
-Scoring featurette (HD)
-Gag Reel (HD)
-Alternate Bee Sting Scene (HD)
-Theatrical Trailers (HD)
-Still Galleries (HD)
-The Making Of The X-Files Movie featurette
-Original DVD Commentary with creator Chris Carter and director Rob Bowman

Fox has upped the ante with the special features included with X-Files: Fight the Future. There are a slew of new features included, most in High Definition, that really help to expand on the production and back story of the film. The best extra, is the stellar picture-in-picture commentary featuring creator Chris Carter, director Rob Bowman, writer Frank Spotnitz and producer Daniel Sackheim. As the core creative team behind the series and the film, all four men offer unique insights into the world and mythology of the "X Files." This same commentary is also available in an audio-only version that bypasses the visual elements of the track. Fox has also activated the Red, Green, Blue and Yellow buttons of your Blu-ray remote, allowing instant access to a series of features that add considerable depth to the film. I was particularly impressed with the concept art and storyboard comparisons as well as the scoring featurette that focuses on Mark Snow's impressive musical score. There's an alternate bee sting clip that puts a different spin on Scully's infection with the deadly alien virus as well as Blu-ray exclusive still galleries that are presented in HD. It's a terrific package that will please fans of the film.

The X-Files: Fight the Future Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

As a fan of "The X Files" it has always been a huge disappointment to me that the series never realized its full potential. The last few seasons of the show were lackluster at best and the cast and crew seemed to be going through the motions in trying to find an ending to the complex mythology they had created. Looking back at X-Files: Fight the Future is a stark reminder of how compelling and original the show was at its peak while being a sad reminder of what could have been. This Blu-ray release features excellent audio and video presentations as well as a bevy of great special features. It's all stellar stuff for fans of the show. Unfortunately, non-fans will be a bit lost coming into the film with no frame of reference. X-Files: Fight the Future, easily earns 4 stars for fans of the show, 2.5 stars for neophytes and a solid 3.5 for everyone in-between. Perhaps seeing this film arrive on Blu-ray will inspire viewers to seek out and enjoy the show's fantastic first 6 seasons. Just be sure to skip the last few.