Unfrosted – A Waste of Time That Fails To Justify Its Existence

Unfrosted is the feature directorial debut of Jerry Seinfeld and also marks the first time he’s ever led a live action film. Set in Michigan, 1963, Unfrosted chronicles the fierce rivalry between sworn cereal rivals Kellogg’s and Post, as they race to create a pastry that will change the face of breakfast forever: the Pop Tart. Led by a comedy legend in Seinfeld and stacked with an ensemble packed full of comedy stars, it certainly had all the makings to be a new comedy classic or at the very least a hilarious biopic. Unfortunately, the result is a misfire in nearly every conceivable way and one that could never quite live up to its full potential.

Unfrosted has gotten some harsh and scathing reviews following its release this weekend, and while it might not be the complete disaster that most critics and audience members have made it out to be, it is still a disappointment that is not worth checking out even out of curiosity. Here, Seinfeld goes for a very specific type of silly humour here and while it’s easy to appreciate the type of humour he’s harkening back to, it’s rarely ever funny and most of the jokes don’t land with their intended impact. It’s honestly kind of crazy how unfunny the film ended up being with so many funny people involved whether they be in big roles, supporting roles or even just a brief cameo.

Seinfeld is fine as the lead and carries the film well enough, but he’s been so much better before and clearly, there was a reason he never became a full on movie star or truly pursued a career in film. McCarthy and Gaffigan are the best of the main cast members, providing at least a few funny moments, while Hugh Grant steals the show in a smaller role. Some of the film’s cameos are fun while others are tiresome, annoying, and will make many wonder what those actors are doing there or how they got involved in this project. Either way, the cast Seinfeld put together here is undeniably impressive, it’s just a shame they couldn’t bring much to the film and/or he was unable to utilize them better.

The film takes a more satirical, over-the-top, and even meta approach to telling its true story along the lines of similar comedic biopics such as Weird or Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox, and while that’s a noble attempt, it ultimately doesn’t work and becomes far too much by the end, essentially turning into a full on parody by its third act. Though it starts off decently enough with a few chuckles in its first act, it quickly wears out its welcome, and by the time the credits roll, it’s clear that the film’s premise was more suited for a short film or a comedy sketch, rather than a full length feature. Its running time may be around the 90+ minute mark but it feels much more drawn out and overstays its welcome more than some recent 3+ hour films.

While many audiences have already labeled Unfrosted as the worst or one of the worst comedies of the decade, it is far from that though it never quite justifies its own existence and feels like a giant waste of time when it’s all said and done. It’s a disappointment that wastes a very talented cast in what was essentially an extended Funny or Die sketch. It isn’t terrible but there’s very little to enjoy or even recommend about it, and to make matters worse, it’s shot and looks exactly like every other Netflix original which means it’ll probably be completely forgotten about in a week or less.

still courtesy of Netflix

If you liked this, please read our other reviews here and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter or Instagram or like us on Facebook.

Where to watch Unfrosted

Connor Carey

www.connorsmoviereviews.com/