Hallmark Channel
If you thought Hallmark had spared no expense to film Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story on location in Kansas City instead of their usual Canadian venues, then hold on to your hats because the newest ‘Countdown to Christmas’ movie sends two favorite stars, Lacey Chabert and Kristoffer Polaha, all the way to Iceland! For reals!
The Christmas Quest stars Chabert as Stefani Baxter, an archaeologist and professor drawn into a quest to track down the legendary Treasure of the Jólasveinar, or Yule Lads, a group of thirteen mischievous trolls with specific characteristics who act as thirteen Father Christmases for Icelandic children (at least in the modern era, as the original Jólasveinar stories were much more horrific and were banned in 1746), leaving gifts for the good children and rotten potatoes in the shoes of the bad kiddies. Stefani is drawn to this adventure because her own mother (a surprise cameo by Erin Cahill) once sought this elusive treasure but never found it before she retired from her adventuring. Unfortunately the first clue on the quest is written in an ancient Norse language, and Stefani knows one person who can decipher it — her ex-husband Chase (Polaha), and he’s none to eager to go on any adventures, quests or treasure hunts with her. For a hot second that is, and then he’s fully on board. The pair travel to Iceland under the aegis of Victor Grimes (Derek Riddell), using one clue to track down the next clue, thirteen in all, one for each Lad, hoping to find that treasure. Things get complicated when they discover someone else is attempting to locate the treasure as well, and perhaps Victor himself isn’t quite on the up and up. Can Stefani and Chase beat everyone to the treasure, and will what they find be worth all the trouble? And will the pair learn that their romance isn’t as dead as they thought it was?
The Christmas Quest is a pure escapist piece of entertainment. It may not offer all the thrills of an Indiana Jones movie — Chase is slightly disappointed there were no large round rocks to run from — but it’s fun if you like the riddle type of treasure hunt, where one clue leads you to the next clue until you get to the treasure. Of course, if you’re not up on your Norse legends you may not be able to follow the clues as easily as Stef and Chase do, but it’s still a fun ride through some truly breathtaking locations. This film retains its authenticity by employing a large crew of local Icelandic professionals behind the scenes, with the leads, Erin Cahill and Isla McRae (as young Stefani) the only Americans in the cast, while Derek Riddell is from Scotland. It really makes the film special to not have Americans attempting to play the native Icelanders.
Hallmark Channel
Speaking of the natives, Jóel Sæmundsson turns in a bit of comic relief as Óli Stefánsson, a man who has assisted Stefani in past adventures, the last one ending on a particularly harrowing note that makes him refuse to get in a plane with her. He’s also playing one of the Lads during the local festival, but he lets her and Chase borrow his car and offers a little moral support when they get a bit stumped in the quest. Þór Tulinius and Hanna María Karlsdóttir as Jón and Birgitta have a nice moment with Stefani and Chase as they welcome them into their home after the pair return their cat they found wandering the street, asking them to stay for dinner and help decorate their Christmas tree (it’s not like Stef and Chase have anything better to do … oh, wait!). When the couple shows up later at an event, they do become a bit of a red herring as you wonder if they are also working against the couple to find the treasure. Riddell is also good as Victor Grimes, at first acting as a benefactor to help fund the quest but showing his true colors the closer Stafani and Chase get to finding the treasure.
As for the leads, Chabert and Polaha are wonderful and they have such good chemistry. You can totally believe these two have a past, a history together not just by the way they talk to each other, but in how they look at each other, their body language. And you can totally believe Chabert as an archaeologist, a real one who knows her history and takes care with the clues that are given, thoughtfully putting the pieces of the puzzle together. Polaha’s Chase is also very intelligent, not just the guy to protect Stefani and get physical when needed — and this quest require more brains than brawn. He imbues Chase with that emotional hurt still in his heart that we can see whenever he looks at her in the quieter moments, while also showing his excitement for being on this quest with her. You couldn’t ask for a better pair of actors to play these roles.
The overall production utilizes the Icelandic locations to perfection, offering the viewer sights they may never see otherwise while allowing us to ride along on the adventure. Director Dustin Rikert keeps things moving along, and the screenplay by Andrew Gernhard, Marcy Holland and Rikert gives us just enough information about the legend of the Yule Lads so it isn’t totally foreign to us, and creates some wonderful characters for the talented actors to play with. The Christmas Quest may not be the heart-pounding adventure you’d expect from an Indiana Jones movie, but it’s still a fun ride with an intriguing puzzle, stunning locations, and a cast that couldn’t be better.
The Christmas Quest has a run time of 1 hour 24 minutes, and is rated TV-G. The film is available On Demand and is streaming on Peacock.
Sneak Peek – The Christmas Quest
Hallmark Channel
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