"Snow Queen" (2002), a Hallmark production, is an uneven fantasy notable as Bridget Fonda’s final film appearance. The story unfolds in the late 1800s, centering on the daughter (Chelsea Hobbs) of a hotel owner in a Great Northwest town who develops feelings for a bellboy, Kai (Jeremy Guilbaut). When an alluring but cold woman known as the Snow Queen (Bridget Fonda) carries him off, Gerda (Hobbs) sets out to find and rescue him after she unexpectedly enters her parallel world. Before that can happen, however, she has to navigate Spring, Summer, and Autumn, each presenting its own set of challenges. This is an Americanized adaptation of the classic fairy tale penned by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen, initially released in two parts during 1844-1845. Elements from a different folktale concerning the four seasons were also incorporated into the narrative. The film’s setting appears to be somewhere in either the United States or Canada – North America generally – and was filmed in British Columbia, placing it geographically within the Great Northwest during the late 1800s (or early 1900s). It's clearly not Denmark, given the presence of snowcapped mountains and the fact that everyone speaks English. While one might speculate about Norway or Sweden, that doesn’t resolve the language issue unless you simply imagine the characters speaking a Scandinavian tongue. The movie is worth watching primarily to see Bridget Fonda in her last role before marrying composer Danny Elfman and establishing a family. Hobbs isn't particularly captivating, but she’s adequate; Guilbaut is unremarkable but gets the job done. The film gains vibrancy whenever Fonda appears on screen. The initial portion of this lengthy movie feels grounded in reality and works reasonably well for a television production, but the central section follows Gerda’s journey through Spring, Summer, and Autumn while Kai remains imprisoned within the Snow Queen's mountain stronghold, which is protected by a talking polar bear. The film frequently shifts between these two storylines, interspersed with scenes set back in the real world involving the hotel owner (Robert Wisden) and his cook, Minna (Wanda Cannon). Throughout Gerda’s quest, characters appear and disappear quickly, creating a somewhat disjointed feel reminiscent of the Neverland sequences from "Hook" (1991). If you enjoy fairy tales like “Snow White and the Huntsman” (2012) or episodic fantasies such as “The Odyssey” (1997), “Ulysses” (1954), and “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy (2001-2003), this might be worth a look; just keep in mind it was made on a TV budget, so don’t expect much action. The film's total runtime is 2 hours and 48 minutes and was filmed entirely in British Columbia locations including Cranbrook, Fort Steele & Vancouver. GRADE: C+/B-

Source on TMDB