The X-Files: I Want to Believe (Blu-ray Disc, 2008, Canadian; Includes Digital Copy; Sensormatic; Widescreen)

For the devoted viewers of THE X-FILES, there can be few things more exciting than hearing the familiar notes of Mark Snow's theme song at the beginning of THE X-FILES: I WANT TO BELIEVE. This cinematic follow-up to the series picks up years after it ended, but the characters are still the same ones that audiences loved. Fans who followed the show religiously (and was there any other way to watch it?) won't be surprised to learn that Mulder (David Duchovny) is currently living in hiding, still researching the paranormal while he grows a shaggy beard. Meanwhile, Scully (Gillian Anderson) is working as a doctor at a Catholic hospital. When an F.B.I. agent goes missing, the bureau calls on the pair to return to their old work. The paranormal element of their case is found in Father Joe (Billy Connolly), a former priest who is having psychic visions and leading the team from the F.B.I. to evidence to help them solve their case. Mulder and Scully return to their roles of believer and skeptic as they join in the search.Just as in the show, I WANT TO BELIEVE is a genre-bender that combines science fiction, horror, and thriller. In fact, the film seems like a two-part episode of the show--and that's meant as a compliment. Though six years have passed since the series' finale (and 10 since the first cinematic incarnation), the show's central elements are intact, especially the interaction between Mulder and Scully. For those who weren't fans of the show, I WANT TO BELIEVE offers chills similar to THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS and THE BONE COLLECTOR--but minus the gore. The show was always more about the unseen horrors, and the film works well as it follows its predecessor's lead.