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    • BLU-RAY REVIEW

    X Files™, The: I Want To Believe

    Featured In Issue 138, January/February 2009

    Picture4
    Sound4
    WSR Score3.5
    Basic Information on new release titles is posted as soon as titles are announced. Once reviewed, additional data is added to the database.
    (Studio/Distributor):
    20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
    (Catalog Number):
    2254378
    (MPAA Rating):
    PG-13
    (Rating Reason):
    (Retail Price):
    $39.98
    (Disc Type):
    Single Side, Dual Layer (BD-50)
    (Widescreen Edition):
    Yes
    (Full Screen Edition):
    No
    (Running Time In Minutes):
    104
    (Color Type):
    Color
    (Chaptered/Scene Access):
    Yes
    (Closed Captioned):
    Yes
    (Regional Coding):
    Not Indicated
    (Theatrical Year):
    2008
    (Theatrical Release):
    Yes
    (Direct-To-Video Release):
    No
    (Disc Release Date):
    12/02/08
    (THX® Digitally Mastered):
    No
    (Director):
    Chris Carter
    (Screenplay/Written By):
    (Story):
    (Music):
    (Director Of Photography):
    (Production Designer):
    (Visual Effects):
    (Costume Designer):
    (Editor):
    (Supervising Sound Editors):
    (Re-Recording Mixers):
    (Executive Producers):
    (Co-Producers):
    (Producers):
    (Academy Awards):
    (Principal Photography):
    (Theatrical Aspect Ratio):
    (Measured Disc Aspect Ratio):
    (Disc Soundtrack):
    Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS HD Lossless 5.1
    (Theatrical Sound):
    (Theatrical Re-Issue Soundtrack):
    (DTS Bit Rate):
    (Dolby Digital Bit Rate):
    (Additional Languages):
    (French Language):
    (Spanish Language):
    (Chinese Language):
    (Subtitles):
    (Cantonese Language):
    (Mandarin Language):
    (Japanese Language):
    (Italian Language):
    (German Language):
    (Portuguese Language):

    David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson re-team to unravel a bizarre case right out of The X-Files™. Amidst an eerily deceptive calm, FBI agent Monica Bennan is abducted. Not only does the search for the missing woman ignite sparks between partners Scully (Anderson) and Mulder (Duchovny), it defies the boundaries of science, the supernatural, and the terrifying spaces in between. (Gary Reber)

    Special features include both the theatrical version and extended cut of the film; in movie features: real-time index, Bonus View, Behind The Camera, and storyboards: picture-in-picture commentary by Chris Carter and Frank Spotnitz; the Trust No One: Can The X-Files Remain A Secret? three-part documentary (HD 77:51); the Chris Carter: Statements on Green Production featurette (HD 6:15); Agent Dakota Whitney's Files; Body Parts, a special makeup visual effects featurette (SD 8:11); an interactive Timeline; three deleted scenes (HD 5:50); a gag reel (HD 9:48); "Dying To Live," which is a music slide show (HD 4:02); still galleries; the domestic trailer (HD 1:26) and the international trailer (HD 1:39); D-BOX® Motion Code™; and a digital copy of the movie.

    The 1080p AVC 2.42:1 picture quality is excellent, with good contrast, deep blacks, and well-defined shadow detail. Color fidelity is good, with natural hues and fleshtones. Numerous scenes are dark, with the imagery defined in the shadows with the use of dramatic lighting. Some scenes in the snow are less defined. There are apparent artifacts, such as edge enhancement. Overall, the picture exhibits a natural filmic quality with slightly soft imagery, compared to other Blu-ray Disc releases. (Gary Reber)

    The DTS-HD Master Audio™ 5.1-channel soundtrack succeeds in the more intense scenes with excellent dynamics, spatiality, and aggressive sound effects. Such scenes project a holosonic® soundfield with excellent spatial qualities. Bass extension is deep and often extending below 25 Hz. The aggressive surrounds, when engaged, are directionalized and dynamic. Unfortunately, the soundfield collapses to mono during interior dialogue scenes. Dialogue sounds natural but is lacking the presence of room integration. Some surround effects float in the air, for an exciting sonic experience. The symphonic orchestral music score is nicely rescored, with good spatial perspective reaching deep into the surrounds. This is a well-crafted soundtrack, except for the mono interior scenes. (Gary Reber)

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