The Christmas Quest

Hallmark's sanitised take on Indiana Jones or perhaps Lara Croft, features two big stars: the Queen of Christmas Lacey Chabert and Kristoffer Polaha, fresh off his starring role in 2023's 'A Biltmore Christmas'.

The chemistry between the two leads - who are divorced when they team up to hunt for legendary treasure in Iceland around Christmas, battling some not-really-evil bad guys along the way - is strong. They are both accomplished actors, and their banter is effortless.

But, man, the final reveal really sucked the life out of things, and left me shaking my head. Talk about a letdown! Yikes. Ninety minutes invested...for that? No bueno.

It is the Christmas season. Norse experts, Stefanie Baxter (Lacey Chabert) and ex-husband Chase Baxter (Kristoffer Polaha), go to Iceland to search for the legendary Yule Lads. She is following her mother's research while others are in pursuit. She just doesn't have a gun.

First, there are a lot of Icelandic words. I don't know any of them. I can't remember them. It is in one ear and out the other. Some of the local customs are interesting, but it's almost the same thing. I know that this is a Hallmark movie. They are not going to do gunfights, but they could generate some thrills. At last, the Hallmark gene is too strong and there is no urgency in this quest. They are more likely to take a leisurely walk than go running and jumping.

I had high hopes for this movie. I like both the principal actors. But this was a cheap knock off of Indiana Jones. It might have worked but the chemistry between the two was lacking. This was one of those low budget movies with lots of shots of snow covered mountains and roads punctuated with music. How much was filmed in Iceland? Not much I think. What could have done differently to have a better movie? Erin Cahill could have had more airtime. The villains could have been more clearly defined. The actors had limited human interaction during the first full 45 minutes while in Iceland. I'm not saying that this is a bad movie, I am saying it was not very good.

At least Stefanie (Lacey Chabert) and Chase (Kristoffer Polaha) got a free trip to Iceland, right?

How can I say this in the most kind way possible? Well . . . I had no idea of most of the things people in this movie were saying. The Icelandic traditions, history and language obviously deserve proud representation, but the words were so jumbled that I really could not follow this movie. I did try reading the subtitles. No luck. Icelandic words are hard.

This is like the preschool version of The da Vinci Code and Indiana Jones. I hope the movie made sense to someone, but it wasn't me. I like these actors, but dang, this was a major disappointment.

And, who lit the candles in the old cave? Nonsense. Where did the electricity come from?

What if the treasure you seek is a bunch of old crap? Finish this movie and find out. But don't. Just skip it.

Cast Kudos: none

Measuring Christmas Magic: Nope. Zero.

Alternative Movie Titles: Iceland Deserves Better.

6.9 stars.

Whether it's the failed attempt at a thrilling treasure hunt, or a half hearted romance, this story is a little of both and a lot of nothing. Why attempt this kind of impact if you know you can't deliver? Indiana Jones this is not.

It's a strange concoction of quest and scenery, but the scenery in Iceland is cold and heartless. If you want to embark on a real adventure, you need more rugged and harsh surroundings, not some fluffy Hallmark set pieces and fake artifacts.

The two main characters are divorced and that alone is a mood killer. It changes the love paradigm to more of a tense conflict and less of a hopeful and romantic experience.

Next, the casting is way off. Chabert does not fit the role, yet insists on portraying hard-core risk taking, adrenaline infused women. He plays the male role sufficiently, but what this film needs are two totally different leads.

The music was good for an adventure and evokes the appropriate mood, but it caters to a more action packed blockbuster and not some awkward Hallmark attempt at an epic journey through the pages of Icelandic lore.

I know they can do so much better, but Hallmark has to preserve their signature props and cinematography schemes and they don't fit the mold for gritty adventure.