Blu-ray Movie Reviews

When a group of women are mysteriously abducted, it becomes a case right out of "The X-Files". The best team for the job is ex-agents Fox Mulder and Dr. Dana Scully, who have no desire to revisit their dark past. Still, the truth of these horrific crimes is out there somewhere...and it will take Mulder and Scully to find it.

I never really followed this show and only managed to catch a few episodes here and there. Of course I’ve seen the other movie though and despite the critics bashing this one I thought it was a really good film. I was far better than any of the other shows I managed to catch and I actually enjoyed it more than the first film. It looks like it takes place well after the show ended and I wasn’t aware that the pair had become a couple near the end of the TV series. The movie is offered in two different cuts; the theatrical and an extended edition, and deals with some rather grisly themes. Still, far better than I was expecting and a great addition to the thriller genre.

The HD presentation is a bit hit or miss. Fine detail and depth can be quite strong at times but consistency wavers a bit too much for my tastes. Some of the effects shots are way too obvious and the overall sharpness of the image goes away revealing a rather pasty looking picture. Depth of image is strong and dimension overall is good. There are times where the image has a very film-like quality to it and I loved the rich contrast of the image.

The DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack is quite good and has a nice blend of ambiance and mood. The spatial design isn’t overly aggressive but there is plenty going on throughout the soundstage. Dialogue is very natural in timbre and imaging across the main channels is dead on. Dynamic range isn’t bad but this isn’t an overly aggressive sound mix. Deep bass shows up a time or two and adds to the impact of the themes.

Plenty of extras on this two-disc set including a digital copy of the film for your portable devices. Fox includes a video commentary from the writer/director Chris Carter along with the other writer Frank Spotnitz. You can also access a BD-Live feature that delves into the files for the film’s mystery. Some production features cover the making of the film and its visual effects and there is a great interactive timeline that gives you the history of the show and films and gives you a synopsis of each along with a short video clip. Some deleted scenes and trailers are included.

This one didn’t get much buzz at the theaters but I really ended up enjoying it. Fans of the genre and series should definitely give this one a look. Fox has delivered some great extras and the presentation isn’t too shabby either.