7.4 | / 10 |
Users | 4.3 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.3 |
When a terrorist bomb destroys a building in Dallas, Texas, FBI Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully are drawn into a dangerous conspiracy surpassing anything they've ever encountered. With the dubious assistance of a paranoid doctor, Mulder and Scully risk their careers and their lives to hunt down a deadly virus which may be extraterrestrial in origin - and could destroy all life on earth. Their pursuit of truth pits them against the mysterious Syndicate, powerful men who will stop at nothing to keep their secrets safe, leading the agents from the cave in Texas, to the halls of the FBI, and finally to a secret installation in Antarctica which holds the greatest secret of all.
Starring: David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, John Neville, William B. Davis, Martin LandauThriller | 100% |
Sci-Fi | 92% |
Mystery | 49% |
Supernatural | 49% |
Horror | 29% |
Adventure | 18% |
Crime | 5% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
English, Spanish, Cantonese, Korean, Mandarin (Traditional)
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
D-Box
Region A (locked)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
“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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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