"X-philes” cannot help going into " The X-Files: I Want to Believe ” with enormous expectations. The 1993-2001 television series gave birth to a vast mythology filled with characters and details that continue to haunt fans' daydreams and nightmares.

But creator Chris Carter 's decision to resist unearthing that mythology with the second "X-Files” feature film should come as no surprise, since the series always ...