In the never-ending trend of either super ambitious or super outrageous “brand to screen” films, we have witnessed the true and not-so-true stories behind the Blackberry, Flamin Hot Cheetos and Air Jordans. Before that, some directors attempted to take a more, dare I say serious, approach to origin films in House of Gucci (2021), The Founder (2016), Steve Jobs (2015), Joy (2015), Saving Mr. Banks (2013) and The Social Network (2010). It was only a matter of time before another seemingly mundane or forgotten product would be grabbed off the shelves and made a Hollywood star. Enter Jerry Seinfeld making his directorial debut by pulling back the foil to tell a story about the birth of the revolutionary Pop-Tart.
Unfrosted is a satirical twist on an underwhelming tale about the race between Kellogg’s and Post to create a new breakfast product for kids. Acting more as an extended SNL skit, Seinfeld uses inoffensive, clean-gag comedy to poke fun at big corporations, food product mascots, and icons from the 1960s. This breakfast-themed comedy isn’t side-splitting, and Seinfeld’s commitment to absurd exaggeration makes this an average experience.
The film primarily follows Bob Cabana (Seinfeld), a fictional reinterpretation of Bill Post, the original creator of Pop-Tarts. Cabana recounts his story of how he, at Kellogg’s, produced the iconic breakfast treat. At Kellogg’s, headed by Edsel Kellogg III (Jim Gaffigan), we are introduced to the inner workings of Breakfast corporations including sugar cartels in Puerto Rico, Milk-Men-Mobs, and unruly, diva Mascots.
In a way, I can describe this as a film from the mind of a six-year-old. It’s just plain silly. There is nothing at stake and no major political or social commentary. But to call this a film from the mind of a six-year-old would be a disservice to Seinfeld. I compared this to an SNL skit because yes, it is absurdly stupid, but this is what Seinfeld is known for. His comedy is cleaner than most, taken from the observations of everyday life, and made to be laughed about. His work and what we see every Saturday night, at times, is nothing more than an attempt to make people laugh–removed from the harsh reality of our world. It’s not for everyone, but, in a way, it is a breath of fresh air to see a film just trying to be funny.
Was it successful? Not completely. A film that takes very little risks yields very little reward. Many jokes landed as minor gags and caused nothing more than a faint smile or snicker. Compared to his other works, Unfrosted is not Seinfeld’s best. Just being plain silly isn’t necessarily what we are looking for in a 90-minute feature film.
One thing to applaud is the insane amount of talent recruited for this film. It seemed like every other scene featured a cameo from a comedy legend or iconic TV star. My favorite part was seeing who Seinfeld and Netflix convinced to be in this film. I won’t spoil the fun of finding and spotting them, but I was particularly excited about the mini-Mad-Men reunion.
Speaking of talent, the leads of this film were all over the place when it came to convincing comedic performances. Seinfeld stars alongside Melissa McCarthy as Donna Stankowski, a food scientist who leaves NASA to help build the product. Also on the front lines are Gaffigan and Amy Schumer as the respective CEOs of Kellogg’s and Post. Despite the success of the TV show Seinfeld, it is clear that Seinfeld and Gaffigan make better stand-up comedians. For the lead actresses, Schumer is shamefully outshined by McCarthy’s perfect timing and comical presence.
I will also briefly include Hugh Grant as Thurl Ravenscroft, the actor for Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes’ ‘Tony the Tiger.’ Truly there are no words to describe how I feel about Grant’s performance or what seems to be a trend of him playing the most random side characters including an Oompa Loompa in the remake, Wonka (2023). Grant’s performance fell into the category of being just plain dumb. Like much of the movie, the concept of a fed-up, overworked, diva food mascot was silly. However, Grant played the character like most of his characters recently–for the sake of a paycheck.
It’s a shame because, as mentioned, there was a lot of talent working on this project. In 90 minutes, the film also featured Bobby Moynihan, Max Greenfield, Cedric The Entertainer, Sebastian Maniscalco, Adrian Martinez, Jack McBrayer, Thomas Lennon, Kyle Dunnigan and James Marsden, to name a few. The script offered very little room for ad-lib performances or for each comic to show off their various styles. Instead, the massive cast was all forced into the bubble of Seinfeld’s technique. Even if Seinfeld wanted a “clean” comedy, it’s unfortunate that none of the originality of these talented comedians and actors could shine.
Overall, like my experience with Pop-Tarts, I found the entire film underwhelming. I was excited at first, due to the use of satire and the plethora of comedic genius, but looks can be deceiving. This debut, unfortunately, fell flat for Seinfeld. As I said, it was a genuine attempt to be a clean comedy, and despite its little success, it wasn’t an unpleasant watch. Just like Pop-Tarts, there are probably better options out there, but then again, there are probably worse.
Review Courtesy of Sara Ciplickas
Image Credit to Netflix via The Hollywood Reporter