I like The X-Files. I really do, although I would hesitate to call myself a diehard fan, as while I have watched the majority of episodes, I have not seen them all and I could not tell you many of the details. That said, when I heard that a new X-Files film was in the works, I was anxious. I was really looking forward to another adventure in this universe, although I had to wonder if too much time had passed since the first film (which came a decade ago) or even since the end of the series in 2002.

I mean, of all the big science fiction franchises, it seems that this one has had the lowest web presence over the years. You can never get far from someone talking about Star Wars, Star Trek, Stargate, or even Babylon 5; however I cannot say I have seen much on The X-Files. In the end I guess it does not really matter, the fans are out there and this talk could only really affect the bottom line of the box office, not the quality of the film, right?

Now, what is it with The X-Files and movie titles? They are terrible! The first film was called The X-Files: Fight the Future and now we get I Want to Believe? I know it is a nitpick, but surely someone could have come up with a better name than that. I would have even preferred if they just called it The X-Files, or tagged on The Movie or something to the end. Again, not much of a problem — the fans will come.

Having seen the film, my mantra of "I Want This to be Good" has been replaced with "I Wish it Was Good." I cannot call this a good X-Files movie. I cannot call this a good movie, period. While there are some elements that I liked, I could not shake the feeling that I Want to Believe was little more than a glorified TV movie.

The movie has been billed as a standalone story, that no prior knowledge of the series or characters is necessary. While this is true on a base level, if you want to get the most out of it you need to know at least a little about the history of the leads, otherwise you may not quite get their interplay. Still, the film does stay away from the arcs from the series, so in that regard, it is at the least standalone (with some knowledge preferable). Although this does put questions as to the reasoning behind the recent DVD releases, which is billed as the "Essential Guide to Viewing the Movie," containing a number of episodes from the series selected by creator Chris Carter.