In 1963 Michigan, business rivals Kellogg’s and Post compete to create a cake that could change breakfast forever.
Chuck says:
It quickly becomes apparent that historical accuracy is not of paramount concern to Jerry Seinfeld where his directorial debut “Unfrosted” is concerned. While the battle between dueling cereal companies, Post and Kellogg’s, to be the first to get a shelf-stable pastry on America’s breakfast tables is the foundation of the story, it’s only used as a springboard for a broad, scattershot parody of a wide variety of targets. Uneven, the film still manages to prove entertaining enough to warrant a look, though its wide variety of comic stylings may prove off-putting to some.
A recreation of one of Norman Rockwell’s most famous paintings is used as a framing device for the story. A young boy has run away and takes a seat at a diner out of the 1940’s. He orders some Pop-Tarts and just so happens to be sitting next to Bob Cabana (Seinfeld), a former exec at Kellogg’s who worked in the company’s Department of Research and Development. As such, he’s able to recount the story regarding the invention of the breakfast snack his seatmate is nibbling on.
This approach allows Seinfeld great license, exaggerations of the facts being necessary to keep the young listener engaged. A highly stylized mise en scene, based on the vibrant fashion of the 60’s, is employed bolstered by broad characterizations from an impressive cast. Melissa McCarthy, Jim Gaffigan, Amy Schumer, James Marsden, Christian Slater, Jon Hamm, and Peter Dinklage are all on hand, each given a moment in the spotlight, all adopting an over-earnest approach to their roles that emphasizes Seinfeld’s cartoonish aesthetic. All are fine but of particular note are Hugh Grant as Thurl Ravenscroft, a frustrated Shakespearean actor reduced to playing Tony the Tiger, and Bill Burr as John F. Kennedy, delivering a hilarious turn as the tragic president that demands the actor play the role in a film of his own.
Corporate intrigue, the media, the space race, technology run amok, the food industry, organized crime, the Cold War, and even the January 6th uprising all end up in Seinfeld’s crosshairs, each subject lampooned, some with tact, others with abandon. As with most comedies, the result is uneven, and while most of the jokes land, the more misguided ones prove that even the best comic minds are capable of being blind to the quality of, or too close, to their material. “Unfrosted” is not for all tastes, its comic tangents a bit jarring and hard to adjust to. Yet it’s never dull and may prove intriguing enough to prompt viewers to seek out an unvarnished version of the fascinating tale behind the invention of the pop culture culinary concoction.
2 1/2 Stars
