Say what you will about The X-Files: I Want to Believe, and critics and disgruntled fans have said plenty the last two weeks: It was a box office bomb... it was marketed poorly by Fox... it had the worst possible competition (Dark Knight, The Mummy)... the story was confusing and unsatisfying. I say "poo-poo" to you all! That's right, I pulled out the "poo-poo." So does the fabulous Whitney Pastorek from EW.com , who also stands by this film.

Granted, by now, you all know I'm a huge fan of the show: An X-Phile, if you will. But much like the movies theme of faith, I still have bucket loads of faith in Chris Carter, Frank Spotnitz, [url http://www.jumptheshark.com/topic/X-Files/X-Files-General-Comments/2215]The X-Files[/url] franchise as a whole and the Tracy and Hepburn of TV (yeah, I went there... well I wasn't going to call them David and Maddie — gag!), Mulder and Scully. Here are the reasons I still believe:

5) The Show Still Stands Up: Even the oldest episodes of the show, while dated by very poor fashion choices (Oh Scully, the hair! The pleats! The horror!), still hold up today and fascinate me when I re-watch them on Sci Fi. I'm constantly asking myself, "How did they come up with these stories, and how did they make it seem remotely believable?" Remember "Ice", or "Darkness Falls" or "The Host?" I still have nightmares about port-a-potties.

4) Celeb Cameos: This is kind of a weak reason but I'm always impressed by the casting on the show. Some of the most awesome celebs got their start, or appeared early in their career on The X-Files and went on to huge success: Jack Black, Seth Green, Felicity Huffman, Bradley Whitford, Giovanni Ribisi and Shia LaBeouf are just a few. And remember when they snagged newly crowned "it-boy" Luke Wilson for "Bad Blood?" That's gotta say something about the quality of the show and the casting of such talent, right?

3) Transcending Genres Flawlessly: This show had the most amazing mix of scary-monster, horror, paranormal, comedy, sci fi, and conspiracy elements woven into multiple episodes throughout 9 seasons of the show. Some of the most original hours in television's history have come from The X-Files including, "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose," "Home," "Jose Chung's From Outer Space," "Squeeze," "Post-Modern Prometheus," "Momento Mori," "Milagro" and so on. And yes, I even liked Seasons 8 and 9. Deal with it. Check out "4-D, "Badlaa," or "Invocation" if you really want to get the pants scared off of you. Take them as stand alones and they will show you how good they really are — I'm serious. Go watch them now. I'll wait.

2)Chris Carter and Frank Spotnitz: They are the most dedicated, fan-friendly, genuinely excited writer/director/producers that I've ever met. Frank told me he's moved to tears by e-mails he received frequently, while Chris brings an old- school camera to every Paley Festival, Comic-Con and appearance that he attends to capture people in the audience for his scrapbook. I spoke to both of them frequently at press events over the last year and not once did I see their enthusiasm, passion or affection for this movie or the series wane even once. Trust me, they are rare beasts in this biz.

1)Chemistry 101: David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson. Mulder and Scully; Scully and Mulder. How many times have us fans heard those two names!? If someone yelled them down the street, we'd probably all get whiplash looking to see who had uttered those beloved words. David and Gillian had the most amazing chemistry from day one on the show. There's a famous story about Chris Carter actually saying to David that he and Gillian should see someone about their characters – like a therapist (hah!) – because they always seemed pissed at each other during their scenes. That feisty edge of the early skeptic/believer relationship fueled endless discussions of romance, first kisses and all that other "shipper" stuff, but it also gave birth to the "thinking man and woman's sex symbols." Gillian and David's brainy banter titillated audiences around the world giving birth to many a fan site; some of which, 16 years later, are still thriving with die-hard members. Why? Because Mulder and Scully were colleagues and friends but their mutual respect for each other's intellect and character is what set them apart as iconic characters and drew audiences back week after week.

So, about the movie. I stand behind it. I saw it the first time at the premiere and was too excited to process it. The second time I saw it, even though I saw flaws (sorry guys!), what I saw more was how much more I enjoyed this movie than any other so-called "thriller" in the theaters recently. Gillian was heart-breaking, Billy Connolly turned in an amazingly layered performance as the disgraced Father Joe, David's humor saved the picture from being too dark, Callum Rennie was a creepy and convincing villain, and the atmosphere of Pemberton and Vancouver gave me chills more than a few times. But really, what brought tears to my eyes and warmth to my heart was seeing Mulder and Scully back on the screen together again. They just work. They are fine actors in their own right, but together as Mulder and Scully, they just "are." They almost breathe the same breaths in their scenes together because they're so familiar with these characters — so even some clunky dialogue seems natural coming from their seasoned lips. It's thrilling to watch. At least for me. Was it for you? Post your thoughts [url http://www.jumptheshark.com/topic/X-Files/X-Files-General-Comments/2215]here[/url].