Jerry Seinfeld’s Unfrosted, a non-canonical biopic of the invention of the pop-tart, contains a star-studded cast (led by Seinfeld, Melissa McCarthy, and Jim Gaffigan … along with cameo after cameo from A-list entertainers) that goes full-on ridiculous in this outrageous campy satire of The Sixties, and guarantees constant laughs throughout.
For the record, I doubt this will be considered for film festivals or award shows (just check out the ratings on Rotten Tomatoes of IMDb, after all.) But simply: it is amusing, captivating, entertaining and worth the watch.
The story is predictable: rival corporations (Kellogg’s and Post) fight to be the first to put a simple breakfast treat in grocery stores (mirroring the Space Race.) It involves secrets, betrayal, mafia-like tactics, cameos from iconic performers … but Unfrosted goes farther than any business rivalry could go, adding acts of treason and the loss of lives.
A predictable plot line, but fun jokes layered throughout its duration. To be truthful, it reminds me a great deal of the movies by Mel Brooks (Spaceballs in particular.)
What makes a satire great is pointing out social issues that we have subconsciously conditioned ourselves to and pointing out the absurdities that we have gone along with for years. Unfrosted contains joke after joke directed at the ideas of The Sixties that clearly did not age well (the Vietnam War, high fructose corn syrup, and above all: the Cold War).
But this satire is completely unrealistic. How so?
An award show that demonstrates the rivalry between Kellogg’s and Post is held at a local Holiday Inn, milkmen imitate the Teamsters, and the creation of Kellogg’s products mirrors that of a top-secret science lab. In fact, there is almost a cartoonish fantasy element to its storytelling.
But what is most appealing about this movie is not its jokes, but its length: only an hour and a half. The time will fly by and will be over before you know it.
It’s clear the creator of the show about nothing heeded the wisdom of the Master of Suspense, Alfred Hitchcock, who quipped that a film’s length should match the endurance of the human bladder. And in this case, since it has been released through Netflix, one can conveniently stop and continue this quick film at one’s own pace anyway.
Again, this is not a groundbreaking film that will redefine cinema and comedy, as we know it. But it is a fun watch filled with entertainers that have been amusing us for decades, and makes a nice way to spend an hour and a half of our time.
Not all movies worth watching push the limits of art and define a generation.
It is no secret that I am a fan of the Criterion Collection/Channel, and can often recommend movies that could be considered “dry” by my peers … but I also consider Billy Madison and The Waterboy to be among my favorite movies (with no disrespect to Adam Sandler, who has always been lionized for how he has never given into his ego in pursuit of celebrity-status.)
About the Author: Though no longer a resident of Lyme, Kevin knows he can never sever his roots to the tree of his identity. When not attending to his job in Boston, he is committed to ensuring a better grasp of current (and past) releases of cinema to his home community as he strives to leave his own mark in the same field that has always been his guide to understanding life. If you enjoy his published reviews here on LymeLine.com, follow him on his website at ‘The City of Cinema‘ and read more of his unique insights into entertainment.