Soundtrack Review: X-Files: I Want To Believe (2008)

Posted by Jorn Tillnes

September 3, 2008

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090308 2034 soundtrackr1 Soundtrack Review: X Files: I Want To Believe (2008) This is a review of the motion picture score for X-Files: I Want To Believe by Mark Snow.

“The music wasn’t very present in the movie, and I think that if it was, then the movie would be a lot better because of it”

Let me just start by saying that I am a big fan of the show, I love it, I practically grew up with it. Mulder and Scully became my FBI buddies discovering the truth out there so I didn’t have to. I was so excited that the new movie was finally here and I said to my wife: “Hey let’s go watch the X-Files instead of The Dark Knight”. Big mistake! Practically everything was wrong with this movie. Mulder and Scully wasn’t really Mulder and Scully and the only X they had in this movie was some paedophile priest running around telling FBI where to find stuff. Huge disappointment! I got back home to England and the score by Mark Snow was waiting for me. Reluctantly I listened to it, and I am really glad that I did. This is the track list for X-Files: I Want To Believe:

TRACK LIST

Moonrise
No Cures / Looking For Fox
The Trip To Dc
Father Joe
What If You’re Wrong_Sister
Ybara The Strange_Waterboard
Can’t Sleep / Ice Field
March And Dig / Girl Inthe Box
A Higher Conscious
The Surgery
Good Luck
Seizure / Attempted Escape
Foot Chase
Mountain Montage / The Plow
Photo Evidence
The Preparation
Tranquilized
The Axe Post
Box Them
Home Again
X-Files (By Unkle)
Broken (By Unkle featuring Gavin Clark)
Dying 2 Live (by Xzibit)

Moody And Mysterious

I’m happy to say that Mark Snow has made 1 hour and 11 minutes of music. Happy because what he has made is a lot better than the movie. I can’t help of thinking of the TV show when I listen to the music, it is really made for that. The music wasn’t very present in the movie, and I think that if it was, then the movie would be a lot better because of it. There are some movies that become better because the soundtrack is so great and this would have been one of them. The music itself is moody, mysterious and ambient but very dramatic and thematic. There are lot of strings, pianos, ambient sounds and a theme that bring tears to one’s eyes. I am speaking of the theme that is used throughout the score, especially in the excellent track The Surgery which is the best one on the album. This is undoubtedly Mark Snow’s best work, and it’s a shame the movie itself failed to deliver. I also have to say that the Unkle remix of the X-Files track is the best so far, very mysterious and ties greatly in with Mark Snow’s work. There is also a song called “Broken” by Unkle and “Dying 2 Live” by Xzibit which are not that great, to be honest and weird additions to the soundtrack. Listen to X-Files: I Want To Believe by Mark Snow below:

090308 2034 soundtrackr2 Soundtrack Review: X Files: I Want To Believe (2008)