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List Price: $39.98 | | Label: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
Salesrank: 24641
Released: September 27, 2005 |
| Our Price: $16.95 |
| Used Price: $10.03 |
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MPAA Rating:
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
In COLONIZATION Mulder's search for the truth suddenly seems near its end when he and Scully meet Cassandra Spender. A multiple abductee, Cassandra believes that aliens came to Earth on a mission that has somehow gone terribly wrong. Her theory is confirmed when Krycek reveals that three abduction sites were beacons for alien colonization and the death and destruction at those sites were caused by a small alien rebel force. Determined to prevent the colonization of Earth, this force is also eliminating all proof that an alien presence was ever on the planet. Unfortunately for Mulder, his quest for the truth has made him part of the proof which must be eliminated.
Description of The X-Files Mythology, Vol. 3 - Colonization:
The third volume of the X-Files Mythology series picks up in the fifth season, when much of the series' alien-conspiracy themes begin to be revealed. The title Colonization refers to a secret plan, traced back to Roswell 1947, in which aliens will colonize the Earth and obliterate normal human life through the use of the black-oil virus and the infiltration of alien-human hybrids. Scully (Gillian Anderson) befriends a fellow abductee, Clarissa Spender (Veronica Cartwright), who also happens to be the mother of an FBI agent, Jeffery Spender (Chris Owens), who has another surprising family connection. And it's with Clarissa that Scully experiences one of the series' most memorable scenes, in which a group of abductees gathers on a bridge only to watch in horror as a band of faceless rebel aliens strike back at the colonizing aliens, burning them with torches. It turns out that the Cigarette Smoking Man (William B. Davis) is part of a mysterious Syndicate that has been conspiring with the colonizing aliens. We know that the vile turncoat agent Krycek (Nicholas Lea) is involved, but what about a beautiful face from Mulder's past, Diana (Mimi Rogers)? And more truths about Mulder's family continue to emerge.
This set of 16 episodes bridges the 1998 feature film and also the series' relocation from Vancouver, B.C., to Los Angeles to accommodate the newly married David Duchovny. And it's here that Duchovny began to phase himself out of the series. The iconic shot of Mulder's face being stretched and tested early at the beginning of season 8 coincides with the introduction of a new agent who's leading the search for him--Agent John Doggett, played by Robert Patrick (best known for his role as the T-1000 assassin android in Terminator 2). Patrick would later be joined by Annabeth Gish, and that team, with assistance from Scully, would go on to finish the series after its ninth season.
The bonus features include four episodes with new commentary tracks. They're hit and miss, but on the second of his two tracks, producer Kim Manners is perked up considerably by the presence of Patrick (who says, "My vocabulary improved from this show. I had to keep a thesaurus in my trailer at all times."). There's also a 27 minute documentary, with behind-the-scenes info and the crew (but not cast) explaining the mythology. --David Horiuchi
The X-Files Mythology, Vol. 3 - Colonization Reviews:
A Necessary Part of the Mythology Series 
2006-03-06 - This review is more or less a reflection on the entirety of the Mythology series which streamlines the Alien conspiracy from begining to end.
If there was any difficulty following the main story - this picks and chooses exactly what you need to know.
In my opinion, this works best as a complete set and watched in chronological order from the pilot (on the Abduction Series) though the final episodes(on the Super Soldier Series.) In total there are 4 sets to complete the story chronologically. It's an affordable alternative to purchasing each season right from the get go.
Highly reccomended as a fan of the X-Files.
Another volume for casual X-Files fans 
2005-09-22 - This third volume in the X-Files mythology series contains 16 episodes from seasons five through eight, including Patient X, The Red and the Black, The End, The Beginning, S.R. 819, Two Fathers, One Son, Biogenesis, The Sixth Extinction, The Sixth Extinction II: Amor Fati, Sein und Zeit, Closure, En Ami, Requiem, Within, and Without; all of which focus on the "Colonization" aspect of the show's main story arc. Many of the episodes featured here (from season's five and six mainly) are classic episodes that revealed much of the show's grand scheme, but the last few featured here weren't up to the same quality that fans of the show expected. There are some pluses here, including the introduction of Agent John Dogget (Terminator 2's Robert Patrick), but as a whole, this collection is better off to casual X-Files fans who don't want to shell out the cash for the full season sets. All in all, like the two volumes before it, Colonization is a decent purchase for casual X-Files fans that are just interested in the show's mythology (the stand alone episodes that the show is renowned for are not included in any of the Mythology sets), but for those who already own the various full season sets, this is completely worthless.
Emily is missing, but the basics are still covered...
2005-09-12 - I think the absence of CHRISTMAS CAROL/EMILY is purely a space decision/concern - there are 60 episodes total (15 on each set) and some had to go (DEMONS is another casualty). For what it's worth, the crucial information that's missing is contained in a flashback scene from Season 8's PER MANUM:
***
SCULLY: I was left unable to conceive with whatever test that they did on me. And I am not ready to accept that I will never have children.
(MULDER looks down as the elevator dings and the doors open into the basement. He walks out, then turns back to the elevator.)
MULDER: Scully, there's, um, there's something I haven't told you either and I hope you, uh, forgive me and understand why I would have kept it from you.
SCULLY: What?
MULDER: During my investigation into your illness I found out the reason why you were left barren. Your ova were taken from you and stored in a government lab.
SCULLY: What?
(SCULLY is looking at him in shock. The elevator doors begin to close, but she puts up her hand to stop them.)
SCULLY: You found them?
***
Yes, I'd prefer the EMILY episodes were included, too, but at least the most basic information is still there. Well, except that Emily herself existed. As much as I enjoy "new" XF product like this, what we really want is a new XF feature film!
Tow Cruicial Episodes Missing.
2005-09-09 - I am absolutely furious that they "forgot" to put the Emily's episodes in this set !!
Those tow episodes are so important in the mythology !!
That's where we learn that Scully can't have children due to her abduction... and so much more !!
It is quiet a shock to me ! (yeah, I'm a big fan ;) ).
And those episodes are related to season eight/ nine (William....). I mean, it is really too bad !
Shame on Fox who wanted 60 episodes to explain the mythoilogy ! 60 is apparently much more better than 62...
Today, I'm sad ! :)
Of course, the rest of the episodes are just "amazingly" great.
4 stars just for the amazing 'Requiem'.(And it is where they should have stop the serie)... ;)
The set where the mythology truly comes to an end
2005-08-05 - I still have my complaints about this odd series of DVD sets from Fox. The basic idea isn't a bad one under the right circumstances: take all of the mythology episodes from THE X-FILES and group them in four inexpensive sets that leave out the stand alone episodes in order to tell "the X-Files story." I'm still not quite sure who the target audience for these sets is. Neophytes will be missing the standalone episodes that are just as typical of the series as the mythology episodes (and that represent many of the finest episodes), and serious fans already have all these episodes. To sum up, here are my complaints:
1. Instead of providing some inexpensive Mythology sets, FOX Entertainment should instead have focused on cutting the exorbitant prices of the complete season sets. They should provide us with sets that list around $59.95, so that places like Amazon can sell them at initial offerings of $38.
2. The sets come with minimal extras, largely recycling the special features from the original boxed DVD sets.
3. While the Mythology sets serve a function by calling attention to the seasons-long story arc, they hurt by eliminating the standalone episodes, which are just as crucial to developing the Mulder-Scully chemistry as the Mythology episodes.
4. In the end, the sets feel like an attempt to milk X-FILE fans who are anxious for new material while waiting and hoping for a new feature length film.
Nonetheless, I can support the idea of these sets for two reasons. First, they do help focus attention on the alien colonization story arc that runs through the various seasons of THE X-FILES. Second, they are very cheap.
Unfortunately, after this third set, things go downhill pretty quickly. I absolutely love THE X-FILES, and even loved Season Eight after Duchovny largely left the show, and much of Season Nine after he was gone entirely (though his memory lingered on). But the fourth set will be dedicated to the Super Soldiers story arc, and that was the one truly awful thing that ever occurred in THE X-FILES. The story arc that ended with the destruction of the cooperative efforts with the aliens striving to colonize earth left the show without much structure in Season Seven, so I can understand the desire to reintroduce structure with a new story arc. Unfortunately, the Super Soldiers simply didn't work, partly because they were a little too powerful (though they did find a kind of kryptonite that worked against them), and partly because the show was running out of gas when they were introduced, and no one seemed to want to try and make them interesting. Once the main arc that dominated the show from the first season until the very beginning of Season Seven came to an end, the show largely drifted from one standalone episode to another. Some familiar characters reappeared from time to time, like the Cigarette Smoking Man, and we got some alien episodes, but for all intents and purposes the main arc came to an end in "Amor Fati" in Season Seven. Everything after that has a tacked on feeling to it.
The importance of THE X-FILES in popularizing very long story arcs simply cannot be overstated. I've argued in several places that one reason that the ceiling for what television is capable of doing has been raised so high has resulted from the successive contributions of TWIN PEAKS, THE X-FILES, and BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, the first by showing that television was capable of telling riveting narratives, the second by exciting us with multi-season story arcs, and the third by keeping the multi-season story arcs, but shifting the main concern from plot to character development. The first three (but not the fourth) of the Mythology sets help make the case for this important contribution THE X-FILES has made to the history of television.
