THE X-FILES (1998)

I never watched "The X-Files" when it originally ran on network TV.  It was only recently that I started watching it on Netflix and I really like it.  The chemistry between Agents Scully and Mulder, the crazy stories, quick pace, quirky humor, solid acting.  It's a great show.  That said, I've noticed (I'm currently about to start Season 6) that all of the episodes can be divided between the "Monster of the Week" episodes and the continuing "mythology" episodes.  To me, the "Monster of the Week" episodes are far superior to the slow-moving "mythology" ones, especially the comedic ones!  Unfortunately, this first X Files movie simply comes off as an extended "mythology" episode with a larger budget.

To me, it seems that the benefit of making a movie over a normal network TV episode is you can push the limits and have more things in your bag of tricks in order to surprise and thrill the audience.  Unfortunately, instead of pushing the envelope this film doesn't have any cussing or nudity or excessive violence or expand on Mulder's porn addiction...instead it's honestly just a boring "mythology" episode with a longer runtime.

I still liked it and don't regret watching it, but I was really hoping for much more.  I would have been happier though if the film have been like one of the funnier "Monster of the Week" episodes like "Bad Blood", "Small Potatoes" or "War of the Coprophages".  I'm also getting sick and tired of Scully and Mulder not knocking boots.

Update 1/18/16: Just watched the second X-Files film THE X-FILES: I WANT TO BELIEVE (2008) and it was terrible.  The entire film was dull, dreary and pointless. Even worse, the depictions of Mulder and Scully were so different than from the earlier seasons, when we fell in love with them, that it's almost insulting to the viewer.  I wish I had never watched it.

SPACECAMP (1986)

A group of teenagers attend NASA's Space Camp program.  Things are going pretty well and it looks like that one dude might get to sling some ding-a-ling at Lea Thompson, but then whiny kid (Joaquin Phoenix) mentions that he wants to go into space.  Normally that would be a safe thing to say, especially at goddamn Space Camp, but since he says it within earshot of the extremely literal and sweetly sinister robot Jinx it means he's going into space whether he likes it or not!  Because they are friends foreveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeerrr.  Next thing you know Jinx has manipulated a test on the Space Shuttle into the real thing and the kids blast off into orbit...with only a few hours worth of oxygen.  Note to self: never befriend a well-meaning, but extremely stupid robot.

Released just a few months after the heartbreaking Space Shuttle Challenger disaster SPACECAMP was pretty much destined to fail at the box office and it did with only $9 million at the box office...I have no idea what the budget was though.  But is it a good movie?  Ehh, it's alright.  The story is silly and from what I could tell during the Space Camp scenes all of the kids were a bunch of fuck-ups but then suddenly when they get into space they suddenly become way smarter.  I guess that's what being faced with death will do for ya.  Anyway, their efforts not to die are mildly interesting and the special effects are probably above average for the time, but I still found myself apathetic towards their dilemma.  Which is kind of surprising since I usually like trapped in space adventure movies.  Unfortunately though, with just an average director and an average script SPACECAMP itself turned out boringly average.