As one of the most highly anticipated movies of the summer, "The X Files: Fight the Future" follows a long trail of other films which attempt to have savvy soundtracks, sometimes at the expense of including music appropriate to the film.

To its credit, several of the tracks here will go nicely with the Mulder-and-Scully flashlight scenes, like Bjork's "Hunter" with its heart-fibrillating beat or Sarah McLachlan's ambient "Black." The Cure turns in a deliciously brooding "More Than This," suitable for any of those almost-love-scenes that always seem to be interrupted -- or thought better of.

On the other hand, what exactly are bands like the Cardigans and Tonic doing on a soundtrack like this? Neither band possesses the kind of eerie flavor or intellectual might required to aptly complement a setup like the "X Files." And while Ween's "Beacon Light" or X's cover of the Doors' "Crystal Ship" might be fun on their own terms, they don't make sense in the context of this collection.

Interestingly, one of the best tracks here is Oasis brother Noel Gallagher's densely textured "Teotihuacan," and one of the worst is the Dust Brothers' remix of Mark Snow's "X Files Theme." The former is spacious, thrilling and unnerving in its beauty; the latter is an uninspired breakdown of an otherwise worthy tune.

At least the soundtrack, like "The X Files" itself, holds many surprises. Unfortunately, too many of these surprises are unpleasant ones.

-- Beth Winegarner

This article was originally published in BAM magazine.