The X-Files - Fight the Future (Feature Film)

Season 6, Episode 0, Aired
EDIT

Episode Summary

Blackwood, Texas: After falling through a hole in the ground, a young boy is infected by the alien Black Oil. One week later, in Dallas, a federal building is bombed by terrorists, killing five people, including the Blackwood boy. Mulder and Scully, now part of an FBI anti-terrorism unit, learn that the boy as well as three other victims were dead even before the bombing, cause of death: an alien virus. In the Texas desert, the agents find an agricultural complex that may hold the key to unlocking the government conspiracy surrounding the extraterrestrials and their lethal virus.moreless
8.9
out of 10
EPISODE RATING: Great
245 votes
  • Your Rating: 10
    "Perfect"
  • Your Rating: 9.5
    "Superb"
  • Your Rating: 9
    "Superb"
  • Your Rating: 8.5
    "Great"
  • Your Rating: 8
    "Great"
  • Your Rating: 7.5
    "Good"
  • Your Rating: 7
    "Good"
  • Your Rating: 6.5
    "Fair"
  • Your Rating: 6
    "Fair"
  • Your Rating: 5.5
    "Mediocre"
  • Your Rating: 5
    "Mediocre"
  • Your Rating: 4.5
    "Poor"
  • Your Rating: 4
    "Poor"
  • Your Rating: 3.5
    "Bad"
  • Your Rating: 3
    "Bad"
  • Your Rating: 2.5
    "Terrible"
  • Your Rating: 2
    "Terrible"
  • Your Rating: 1.5
    "Abysmal"
  • Your Rating: 1
    "Abysmal"
Rate It
  • Nothing short of amazing

    10
    "Perfect"
    Don't get me wrong, I like the X-Files. I enjoy watching the banter between Scully and Mulder while running around solving crazy stuff. But nearly every single episode there is this one scene or moment that is so annoying, ridiculous and/or unbelievable it just ticks me off. This first feature film had nothing of the kind. It left me stunned, wowed and thoroughly entertained all the way.

    I could've easily copied JaCkKbAuEr2424's review right here and it would refelect my opinion perfectly but I felt like writing. Although this is a movie it very much feels and watches like a regular X-Files episode. From the typical opening scene followed by a relatively slow build up while ending with a lot of action. However Fight the Future outshines every single main-arc episode because it feels so much more polished. There are a ton of memorable scene's and shots which you would not find in a regular episode. The dialogue is much better than most episodes and even the overly cliche scene's are brought with a certain flaire that is a lot of fun to watch.

    What really sets FTF apart from other X-files story arcs is that there is a sense of progress and epicness. We travel from DC to Texas to London to Antarctica to Tunisia and we finally get a clearer and more complete picture of the whole situation. Suprise, a notable character gets killed (!), like every other season finale, but this time it actually left a lasting impact. The writers gave this character a great last episode that portrayed his character perfectly while writing him off with a bang. (pun obviously intented) The ending was a little cliche but fits this show perfectly while more than ever before left me with a feeling of impending doom.

    I could probably go on and on about the great special effects or Mulder being drunk or the rather pointless but welcome appearance by the Lonely Gunmen. Long story short, this was the best damn X-files main-arc story yet.moreless

    DO YOU AGREE?

    0 0
  • In the first X-Files movie, Mulder and Scully deal with an alien virus

    9.4
    "Superb"
    As the first X-Files movie opened, I couldn't help but feel everything was a bit anti-climatic. It didn't have a cinematic feel to it, and even as the movie came to an end and I realized that this truly was one of the better installments of the X-Files, I still felt like it was lacking something. But I stopped trying to search for something that clearly wasn't there; The X-Files is a TV show first and foremost, and the movie is basically an extended TV show episode with some major special effects, huge narrative jumps and an energy that might've been lacking some of the other myth-arc episodes.

    We get the return of a lot of different plots from previous seasons and episodes: the black oil, which seems to be the blood or lifeforce of the aliens, return, as does the Cigarette Smoking Man, the Well Manicured Man and a number of the villains and good guys (especially Skinner) appear for roles, both small and large. What I particularly enjoyed was the way they included the Well Manicured Man. For the longest time, he's been just muttering random menacing things to characters, but this time, he not only explains everything that's going on (the black oil is mixing with human DNA and creating new alien life that is born out of humans) and before he leaves Mulder and is killed off for good, he seems to almost, or at least somewhat, redeem himself by letting Mulder know the truth and ignoring his orders to kill Mulder.

    We also get a slew of great effects, particularly at the end of the movie, after Scully is kidnapped and brought all the way to Antarctica. It appears that one of the plans that this Syndicate has had is to breed humans and alien DNA with each other in order to colonize the world. They also seem to be storing any of these new alien races in a gigantic UFO underneath the ground. The scene where Mulder walks into the UFO is incredible; it shows exactly what the movie allowed Chris Carter to do.

    We also get a moment that seems incredibly close to putting Mulder and Scully together, their lips nearly touching, and of course, they're yanked away at the last second. I also have to give some props to Martin Landau; he does a great job in his limited role as a crazy scientist who helps Mulder figure out the conspiracy.

    The movie was certainly a nice break from the typical TV format, but I'm excited to see where the show goes for the final four seasons.moreless

    DO YOU AGREE?

    0 0
  • I owe you everything, and Scully, you owe me nothing

    10
    "Perfect"
    The first big screen adaptation of The X-Files series is a smart film that deepens furthermore the mythology of the series.

    With The X-Files shut down, Mulder and Scully are now part of an FBI anti-terrorism unit. After a bomb explodes in a federal building in Dallas, Mulder and Scully suspect that's a distraction for a bigger threat which leads them first to an agriculture complex in Texas and finally to a secret installation in Antarctica which holds the truth about the colonization of the planet by an alien race.
    Fight the Future is a fantastic film both for hard-core fans of the series and casual viewers. It successfully combines the action and the special effects of a summer movie with all the elements that made the series so popular. The writing, acting and directing are amazing, Mulder and Scully's chemistry is as strong as always and Mark Snow did a great job in the score. The hallway scene between Mulder and Scully is one of the most beautifully written scenes and I loved The Lone Gunmen and Skinner's brief appearance.moreless

    DO YOU AGREE?

    1 0
  • X-Files Fight The Future

    10
    "Perfect"
    The fist X-Files movie is slightly the better of the two.As Mulder and Scully are just getting over a bombing,Scully decides to leave and continue in medicine.As Mulder practically begs her to stay,they almost share a kiss but Scully is stung by a bee carrying a deadly virus.The Syndicates pose as EMT's and take Scully to Antarctica,where there is a base with alien technology.Mulder has to travel to Antarctia to save her."The Well Manicured Man" gives Mulder,Scully's location and the vaccine to cure her of the alien technology that had been put inside her.Mulder and Scully,by the end,return to DC safely.
    This movie was great.The adventureous nature is 10x better than that of XF2.Though Gillian/Scully has a small part,Mulder/David's performance is phenomanl to a point where it's Extraterrestrial.I give this movie 100 thumbs up.Though it was made in 1998 the picture quality is equal or surpasses those of the 21st century.The 10 year difference doesn't play a factor.It's as fresh as the day Chris Carter said,"That's A Wrap!"

    This movie is one of my personal favorites.
    =)moreless

    DO YOU AGREE?

    3 2
  • Mulder & Scully's first adventure on the big screen - I still love it!

    10
    "Perfect"
    I was 14 when Fight The Future hit the theatres. I went to see it 4 times, if I remember correctly. I absolutely loved it. Ten years later it's still one of my favorite movies! I remember how disappointed people were in 1998. Much the same to what we got with the second movie now actually... I've never understood what's bad about FTF. The show couldn't have made a better movie appearance IMO. This film fits the show's atmosphere perfectly. FTF is mysterious, it's paranoid, it's deeply romantic, it's beautifully filmed...and Mark Snow delivered a score that's just brilliant. I still listen to that soundtrack. It's one of the best ever produced! And Gillian & David deliver quality acting as always. All of the actors are very good and fit their roles. The movie starts off quite creepy with some prehistoric aliens killing two hunters. The next scene of the boy falling into the cave is even better. I've always been fond of the black oil *g* The first scene that introduces Scully (and Mulder) is just too sweet. What could have been more fitting than making her first line "Mulder, it's me." ? The whole conversation with Mulder is so cute and funny. There is a lot of subtle humour in FTF, despite the creepy storyline, which adds to the typical X Files feeling. The following bomb sequence is great. Very exciting, loved the way Scully orders people around and yells at Mulder. I liked how the movie picked up on the character development. There's a lot happening between Mulder & Scully. Her decision to quit functions as the perfect situation to show how much they've come to need one other. And the interrupted kiss is a nice gift (although a bit of a mean one) to the fans. I think it's the first time the love between them is acknowledged so openly. I'm glad they saved it for the movie which makes it all the more special.
    The scenes with Kurtzweil are great. What would X Files be without some sort of informant? And in good X Files manner, the informant always dies. So does the Well-Manicured Man. That really made me sad. I liked him a lot. The car scene is excellent, though. Pure X Files conspiracy genius, if you ask me. So many great scenes in this movie... the cornfield chase, Mulder's nighttime visit to Scully, the last Arctic scene...even the spaceship looked pretty cool. I've always found the accompanying music theme strangely unfitting but that's only one minor thing I would have changed *g* If a third movie should actually be produced, I hope it will be as mysterious and atmospheric as FTF. Then again, if we get the invasion, we probably get something more in the line of War of the Worlds...which might not be ideal for The X Files.moreless

    DO YOU AGREE?

    1 0

Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

See All
  • Trivia

    ADD TRIVIA
    • A lot of actors who appeared in this film have appeared throughout popular sci-fi/fantasy shows: T.W. King - FBI Agent on Roof - Andy Treadeau in Charmed. Gary Grubbs - Fire Captain - Roger Burkle in Angel (and a past X-Files episode). Steve Rankin - Field Agent - Tara McClay's Father in Buffy The Vampire Slayer. Lucas Black - Stevie - Caleb in American Gothic. One of Stevie friends in the film was played by Christopher Fennell, who also played Caleb's best friend Boone in American Gothic. Terry O'Quinn - Darius Michaud - John Locke in Lost. Terry O'Quinn is also famous for playing Peter Watts in Millennium, another Chris Carter-created TV show. Although Millennium was later proven to exist in the same universe as X-Files following a the season 7 crossover episode 'Millennium', the character he plays here is entirely separate. Edit
    • Scully's exact address is: 107 E. Cordova St. Apt. 35 Georgetown, VA 24026 Edit
  • Notes

    ADD NOTES
    • Several actors who have appeared in previous and/or future episodes of the show guest starred in the feature movie: Terry O'Quinn (Aubrey, Trust No1) Steve Rankin (Orison), Gary Grubbs (Our Town) and Jason Beghe (Darkness Falls). Edit
    • When Mulder is in the alleyway by the bar, there's a poster of the film "Independence Day" nearby. Chris Carter hated the film and deliberately wanted Mulder to relieve himself by it. Edit
    • Exterior shots of the Well-Manicured Man's residence in London were shot at a house in Pasadena that was used as the exterior location of the Wayne Manor in the "Batman" television series. Edit
  • Quotes

    ADD QUOTES
    • Mulder: You told me you had answers! Kurtzweil: Yes, but I don't have them all. Edit
    • (After shooting the driver the head) Well-Manicured Man: Get out of the car. Mulder: (expecting to be next) Why? The upholstery is already ruined. Edit
    • Well-Manicured Man: Your aliens, Agent Mulder, your little green men arrived here millions of years ago. Edit
  • Allusions

More
Less