Official X-Files 2 Movie Thread

[YoNoSe]

It's a character piece and quite a bit happens for Mulder and Scully as characters. They go through a bigger arc than they ever did on TV and both end the film in very different places than they started it.

Really, that's the best part. The FBI calling was sort of like the other shoe dropping for Mulder and Scully. They're playing house, but what happens when the X-files show up again? It gives them another layer of reality beyond just being types that exist to pursue the monsters.
I'm looking forward to this on DVD. I think it will definitely play better in my living room.

 

[CelticPredator]

I did really like some shots, I liked the shot where that one person was falling. Really cool...

 

[EVILFACE]

Not exactly. It was a $30 million film with minimal advertising. It recouped a third of its budget in three days and will make the rest back during the remainder of its domestic and international run. It will also make a mint on DVD. I don't think some of you understand how the movie business works, especially small pictures that fall outside the $100 million blockbuster paradigm.

The biggest problem with the film was that it's not a summer movie. It should have been released in winter and would have made much more money as a small character thriller.

It's a bomb cause it was expected to make more. It made less on saturday than it did on friday, which is never a good sign. Even if it makes it budget back, it was a bomb.

 

[MaulFan]

As a movie, I'll agree, this was a flop. It's a great X story, but nothing about it felt movie quality and in the current economy, people aren't going to use the gas and spend $20 or more to go see a 2 hour tv show, they'll wait for DVD. I can see this succeeding on DVD where it's cheaper and easier to see, but as a film, much as I enjoyed it, I can see it doing poorly in the theater because it's not a story for a theater experience.

 

[barbelith]

It's a bomb cause it was expected to make more. It made less on saturday than it did on friday, which is never a good sign. Even if it makes it budget back, it was a bomb.

Except that's not really how it works. There is no way in hell FOX expected to make blockbuster money on a $30 million budget and anyone who thinks they did needs to go back to school. Any picture that earns a third of its budget back the opening weekend is a success. I Want to Believe will most likely recoup its budget by the time domestic and international box office is tallied up at the end of the year and even if it doesn't it will turn a profit on home video, where The X-Files has proven so lucrative they've released the the entire series three times on DVD alone. Plus two anthologies.

The bean counters don't give a damn what whiners on the Internet think. It was a modest gamble that from their perspective will have paid off ... a gamble budgeted at a modest $30 million with no ad budget precisely because they didn't expect blockbuster numbers.

Now of course the bean counters aren't the people who schedule release dates, and the studio blundered there. Although to be fair nobody was expecting The Dark Knight to be so huge, and that film even killed Hellboy 2 despite much better reviews than the first Hellboy.

I Want to Believe is only a bomb by summer blockbuster standards, but if FOX thought that's what it was they would have thrown $100 million at it and asked for aliens. Meanwhile they'll ultimately turn a profit, sell some more copies of their complete series box set and let the franchise percolate for another few years before doing the whole thing over again with another small film.

 

[barbelith]

I can see it doing poorly in the theater because it's not a story for a theater experience.

I agree with this. It's one reason I only pay to see spectacle anymore even though I prefer smaller films. I just wait to watch those on DVD at home. I Want to Believe will make its budget on home video alone.

 

[MaulFan]

Speaking as someone who never watched the X-Files before Fight the Future, I can say I don't think I Want To Believe has any draw new audience value. Granted, the series is over so it'd just be drawing in DVD buyers, but still, this one isn't a movie for the non-fan, if you don't understand these characters and the situation behind where there at, this could actually be quite and unappealing film. This movie is made for the fans, to give them more of what they followed.

 

[NASEDO]

10 mil is a bomb. I talked to a Movie Geek today and asked about the movie. From what I thought Carter wanted to make a movie where non-fans would go see, and then this would make new fans. But why would a non-fan go see this, and why would a fan go see this, when nothing was exposed. It should of been put on Fox, a made for tv movie. And this 10 mil is a bad selling point for any future movie, So I assume the X-files is over.

 

[MaulFan]

I don't think X-Files is/should be over, but if it's to survive past this movie, the next film should really be worked on. Film quality story, more powerful shooting, locations, and events, and be accessible to fans and nonfans alike.

 

[barbelith]

10 mil is a bomb.

For a $30 million picture? Not by a long shot, especially considering what opening weekends usually portend for cumulative box office for the rest of a theatrical run. Really, I'm laughing my ass off here at the bomb pronouncements, because they're obviously being made by people who don't understand the business. Critically mauled? Most studios would kill to make $10 million on a $30 million film in just three days.

 

[JustinLuck]

I haven't seen the movie yet, but I still don't understand why they didn't continue the story from the first X-files movie. Wouldn't it have been more successful?

 

[MaulFan]

I haven't seen the movie yet, but I still don't understand why they didn't continue the story from the first X-files movie. Wouldn't it have been more successful?

It's been awhile, but I believe the season after the first movie included continuation of that films events. So really, either they could go prequel route or continue after the finale.

 

[Ultimate Weapon]

I haven't seen the movie yet, but I still don't understand why they didn't continue the story from the first X-files movie. Wouldn't it have been more successful?

Everything from the first film was already wrapped up in the series - at least the major plot points. The alien invasion, human conspiracy and colonization plot all reached closure around season 6/7. Even Cancer Man and Krycek along with the Lone Gunmen all had their story arcs "completed" in rather finalized ways by the time the series wrapped up with Season 9.

The only other mythology continuation that could be brought into the films is the whole "super-soldier" plot that surfaced in Seasons 8/9 mostly with Dogget, and culminating in the Series finale when Mulder returned. There is some type of alien/super-soldier master plan that is supposed to occur in 2012-ish according to the finale, which is what brought Mulder back and remains the unfinished arc, which could be continued on film. But the original alien colonization conspiracy which encompassed the first six seasons and first film has been resolved.

So yeah, if you watch the series through Season 6/7 you should get all the answers to the original flick.

 

[Ultimate Weapon]

A Russian man's lover wants a sex change through a full body transplant.

I don't think that's what's actually happening. He's dying and his lover is trying to find him a new body. I think he's taking women because that's what he has access to and is able to easily kidnap. This directly parallels what's happening to Scully at the hospital. She's fighting to save a boy she's obviously projecting on re: William and the only way to do that is through a radical and controversial procedure the Catholic authorities find abhorrent and ultimately ban. The script isn't offering moral parity between what she's doing and what the Russians are doing but both raise the same question: When does trying to save a life cross the line?

Yeah, I get the relationships between the storylines, the parallels and the questions that the film is raising.

However, in viewing the film I thought that it was a significant point that only women were being kidnapped for the grafting/transplant procedures. The dying Russian (Franz) was molested by the priest as a child. He also is in love with the other Russian man (Janke) who is doing what he can to save him seemingly regardless of the deeds he has to perform in order to do so.

While the film does not specifically elaborate on this issue, could not one interpretation be that this man, who was molested and is dying also sees a chance at rebirth in a new form (a woman) through this process? Perhaps it is that women are just easier for Janke to abduct and in order to save Franz's life and the issue of man vs. woman body parts is inconsequential. But perhaps it does mean something. I think the film can fall under either interpretation and since it is not stated within the film, this issue seems to be left open.

 

[barbelith]

While the film does not specifically elaborate on this issue, could not one interpretation be that this man, who was molested and is dying also sees a chance at rebirth in a new form (a woman) through this process?

I agree it's open to interpretation, but our real world understanding of homosexuality makes this unlikely. We're told directly the two men legally married. Gay men are men. They are attracted to other men. The likelihood that Franz wants to be a woman or that Janke wants to be with a woman are vanishingly remote. This interpretation would require us to accept an alternative sexuality for both characters, and that's not something the film gives us.

To be honest, I think what's probably really happening is that Chris Carter just made the characters gay so the audience was less likely to figure out what's happening before Mulder and Scully do, and as a result didn't think through the implications. But you're right that the lack of explanations leaves this part of the story open to multiple interpretations. I feel there should have been an explicit connection between the surgery and the female victims one way or another.

 

[barbelith]

The only other mythology continuation that could be brought into the films is the whole "super-soldier" plot that surfaced in Seasons 8/9 mostly with Dogget, and culminating in the Series finale when Mulder returned. There is some type of alien/super-soldier master plan that is supposed to occur in 2012-ish according to the finale, which is what brought Mulder back and remains the unfinished arc, which could be continued on film. But the original alien colonization conspiracy which encompassed the first six seasons and first film has been resolved.

I haven't seen the final seasons in a while, but my understanding is that the CSM reveals the alien colonization date is December 22, 2012 (the end of the Mayan calendar). There may have been implications the super solders were devised as a defense against the invasion as well. So the first film was "resolved" in seasons six and seven in terms of the Conspiracy and the immediate alien presence on Earth.

Presumably a third film would come out in four years and deal with Mulder and Scully preventing the actual invasion and finishing off the handful of super soldiers. Based on the performance of I Want to Believe it would probably be a small scale movie that deals mostly with shadows and conspiracies with Mulder and Scully managing to prevent the colonists from ever arriving, rather than flying saucers zipping around.

 

[NASEDO]

For a $30 million picture? Not by a long shot, especially considering what opening weekends usually portend for cumulative box office for the rest of a theatrical run. Really, I'm laughing my ass off here at the bomb pronouncements, because they're obviously being made by people who don't understand the business. Critically mauled? Most studios would kill to make $10 million on a $30 million film in just three days.

Your funny. Buisness. Why would a studio want to go and give the go ahead for another movie? The Studios want to make profit. The 1st film opened to 30mil and grossed 83 mil. You dont make movies to earn 10mil the 1st week. Theres so many scripts out there and so many movies that get turned down. Cris Carter was just shot down for a Milienium Movie. Plain and simple the Movie BOMBED. No one expected 10mil. Every article states X-Files Bombs at Box office. What will its gross be 20mil. Then someone lost 10mil. I cant believe the studio is happy about the 10mil like you say, come on.

 

[Ultimate Weapon]

I agree it's open to interpretation, but our real world understanding of homosexuality makes this unlikely. We're told directly the two men legally married. Gay men are men. They are attracted to other men. The likelihood that Franz wants to be a woman or that Janke wants to be with a woman are vanishingly remote. This interpretation would require us to accept an alternative sexuality for both characters, and that's not something the film gives us.

To be honest, I think what's probably really happening is that Chris Carter just made the characters gay so the audience was less likely to figure out what's happening before Mulder and Scully do, and as a result didn't think through the implications. But you're right that the lack of explanations leaves this part of the story open to multiple interpretations. I feel there should have been an explicit connection between the surgery and the female victims one way or another.

I see your point. The Russian men are homosexual and neither is referred to as transsexual which could imply a possible desire to become a woman thus making the interpretation that I offered a stronger possibility. I agree that the connection between the surgery and the reason for the abductees being women should have been defined. I know Carter likes to leave things open, but I don't think explaining that connection would have given too much to the audience and in fact it actually just seems to be a loose end more than anything as you suggest.

I haven't seen the final seasons in a while, but my understanding is that the CSM reveals the alien colonization date is December 22, 2012 (the end of the Mayan calendar). There may have been implications the super solders were devised as a defense against the invasion as well. So the first film was "resolved" in seasons six and seven in terms of the Conspiracy and the immediate alien presence on Earth.

Exactly! The human conspirators in the form of the syndicate (CSM's guys) were all wiped out by the alien rebels, who also were responsible for stopping the initial alien colonization plans. The whole super soldier arc was kept pretty cryptic and Mulder never actually divulged what he discovered about the Dec 22, 2012 plans if I remember correctly. So yeah, that entire arc seems the next logical place to pick up although I never felt it was a s compelling an arc as the original colonization story. There's also the connection with William and the downed spacecraft off the cost of Africa that could come into play again with the super soldier arc. There is definitely still room for another strong entry into the series - perhaps even two if done well enough.

 

[barbelith]

Your funny. Buisness. Why would a studio want to go and give the go ahead for another movie? The Studios want to make profit. The 1st film opened to 30mil and grossed 83 mil. You dont make movies to earn 10mil the 1st week.

I usually only pay attention to business arguments from people who know how to spell, but let's run with it. Do you have any idea how many movies don't make $10 million the first week? Blockbusters are not the norm in Hollywood and I Want to Believe was never intended to be one. Only a fool budgets $30 million for a blockbuster.

Films that make a third of their budget back opening weekend are generally considered a success, because the typical box office matrix indicates they'll recoup most or all of their expenses theatrically, especially once overseas sales are taken into consideration. I Want to Believe also had a tiny marketing budget, which mitigates against any silly claims the studio had blockbuster expectations and again means it has a very small hurdle to climb to break even.

Then we get to home video, where The X-Files has proven so lucrative it's been released on DVD in three different formats (and some episodes have been released on DVD in five different formats). Anyone who thinks the two films won't be hits on DVD and Blu-ray when they come out simply hasn't been paying attention. As far as the bean counters are concerned, the numbers for I Want to Believe will clock in much higher than its $30 million budget across theatrical and home video over the next year.

Bingo. Successful project. Even if all those prospects are "disappointing" and ultimately generate $40 million across all streams, that's still a $10 million profit. Not a bad line item on the FOX spreadsheet. I assume you're rolling in dough since you turn up your nose.

Theres so many scripts out there and so many movies that get turned down.

Yep. Which means studios generally believe in the ones that don't. Did you know FOX approached Chris Carter to ask for this one? It was a rush job to help them through the writers' strike but they never would have done it if they weren't convinced the project would ultimately make money. And of course it will, just not in the way armchair quarterbacks are conditioned to expect through their limited exposure to AICN and Entertainment Weekly.

Cris Carter was just shot down for a Milienium Movie.

Yep. And for obvious reasons. It's not a strong presence on home video. It isn't likely to recoup a significant portion of its budget theatrically. It has no international profile, which means foreign ticket sales and video licenses would be nil. All revenue streams you overlook in your quest for schadenfreude. Of course those in the industry understand differently, which is why George Lucas is sitting on a pile of money that has nothing to do with box office returns.

A word of advice - stop commenting on things you clearly know nothing about. It only makes you look foolish.

 

[EVILFACE]

barbelith is really going to town trying to defend this subpar movie. Even if it makes 35 mil world wide, it it still a dud.