Jerry Seinfeld’s delightful comedy is full of fun and silliness, along with surprises to entertain you throughout.
In the 1960s, Kellogg’s and Post were competing for the breakfast market in America. Injecting high on sugar and low on nutrition food appealing to kids, was the name of the game. And Kellogg’s was the king of the game. Jerry Seinfeld’s love for breakfast cereal is no secret to anyone who’s watched Seinfeld. Here, he writes a love letter to ‘Pop-Tarts’ in typical Jerry fashion; with loads of observational, silly comedy.
Jerry writes, directs and stars in Unfrosted, playing Bob Cabana, the Head of Development for Kellogg’s and reports directly to the head, Edsel Kellogg III (Jim Gaffigan). They are winning the market, but Post owned by Marjorie Post (Amy Schumer, flashing terrific acting chops), seems to have an ace up their sleeve that she’s looking to release to the market real soon.
Cabana has no other choice but to come up with a product that must be bigger and better than Post’s. It’s a monumental task and he needs help. In the movie’s universe, the only person up for the job is ‘Stan’ Stankowski (Melissa McCarthy). Cabana steals Stan from NASA where she is concocting food supplies for the astronauts and together they hire a bunch of oddballs to make the greatest breakfast treat America has ever known.
The movie parodies the Space Race between the US and Russia. In the process, Cabana and Stan deal with the sugar kingpin called ’Le Sucre’, the milk mafia run by Harry Friendly (Peter Dinklage, in a hilarious yet dangerous cameo), JFK (Bill Burr, channelling the President surprisingly well) and Krushchev (a grunty Dean Norris).
The script doesn’t worry itself with the responsibility of being logical as it is filled with multiple characters played by some of the funniest people in Hollywood. You can’t get rid of the smile on your face as you watch the movie seamlessly go from one gag to the next. Every movie needs a bad guy and we get one here in the shape of Hugh Grant, playing Tony the Tiger, a failed and misguided Shakespearian actor who feels he isn’t given his due.
The movie is colourful, like its content; and the music is cheerfully specific to the period. Since it’s about breakfast for kids, ample screen time is given to them too. In fact, the movie begins with a kid, down on his luck, ordering Pop-Tarts because it’s been a difficult day.
In Unfrosted, Jerry pulls the trick he did on the show Seinfeld. He pairs himself with a brilliant actor, McCarthy, and plays off her talent. Why change something that works? Having said that, this is Jerry’s best performance to date. That’s not saying a lot, but he is hitting the perfect note of goofiness and physical comedy required to play the lead. This is a light-hearted, charming and fun film providing wholesome entertainment.
Poppy – ‘Wanna hear the survey responses for Fruit Loops?’
Bob Cabana – ‘Not really’
Poppy – ‘They are – ”I don’t like these”, ”Please, no more.”, and ”Where did my parents go?”’
Bob Cabana – Okay. Just double the sugar, triple the gluten, and spell Fruit as FROOT.