After decades in the industry and what feels like a rather long hiatus from high-profile projects, nobody can accuse comedic legend Jerry Seinfeld from going paint by numbers with his feature film directional debut Unfrosted.
A Netflix exclusive that out of all things sees Seinfeld explore the origins of Kellog's famed Pop Tart creation in the early 1960's, Unfrosted is very far from what you'd call a stereotypical biopic as Seinfeld takes things into the weird zone very quickly, with his whimsical and far-fetched offering becoming something more like a PC friendly Lonely Island comedy venture that's zany ambitions will alienate many viewers and have others clambering for more.
Far more outlandish than the comedy that made Seinfeld such a global superstar in his namesake TV show, Unfrosted follows Seinfeld's Bob Cabana, a Kellog's heavyweight who assembles a crack team of "experts" to help Kellog's create a dingus that would eventually become the global dominator that was the Pop Tart.
What seems like a relatively straightforward story is one Seinfeld and his writing partners Spike Feresten and Andy Robin turn into something that is anything but as sea monkey infused pastries, serious workplace accidents, commando James Marsden's and Bill Burr presidents take over and ensure that Unfrosted is as far removed from a serious exploration of food legend as you're likely to get and absolutely the type of film that only Netflix would dare finance.
With a name brand cast that includes more cameos than you can care too name (a particular cameo from two iconic TV actors/characters is sure to be a massive talking point), Unfrosted was clearly the type of project where Seinfeld was gifted the keys to the kingdom to bring his vision to life yet while there's a lot of fun to be had from anticipating who will come up next in proceedings, there's not a lot of glue holding everything together here as Unfrosted's flurry of ideas and gags get lost amongst each other with only a few key moments standing out from the crowd.
As was also the case with the iconic Seinfeld series, Seinfeld himself has never been what you'd call a good actor and his lack of performing smarts and odd charisma make you wish that there was another actor who could've fitted into Bob's shoes with Seinfeld relegated to a supporting role but alas this was always designed as a passion project for the legendary comic and there's undoubted love for the project here from its creator who almost wills Unfrosted into an existence where it works against the odds.
Final Say -
A totally unique comedy offering from an industry stalwart we don't see or hear from a lot these days, Unfrosted is far wackier than you'd expect and misses more often than it hits but there's enough goodwill and cheap laughs on offer here that will see it work to an acceptable level for most.
2 1/2 spy mops out of 5
Jordan and Eddie (The Movie Guys)
A Netflix exclusive that out of all things sees Seinfeld explore the origins of Kellog's famed Pop Tart creation in the early 1960's, Unfrosted is very far from what you'd call a stereotypical biopic as Seinfeld takes things into the weird zone very quickly, with his whimsical and far-fetched offering becoming something more like a PC friendly Lonely Island comedy venture that's zany ambitions will alienate many viewers and have others clambering for more.
Far more outlandish than the comedy that made Seinfeld such a global superstar in his namesake TV show, Unfrosted follows Seinfeld's Bob Cabana, a Kellog's heavyweight who assembles a crack team of "experts" to help Kellog's create a dingus that would eventually become the global dominator that was the Pop Tart.
What seems like a relatively straightforward story is one Seinfeld and his writing partners Spike Feresten and Andy Robin turn into something that is anything but as sea monkey infused pastries, serious workplace accidents, commando James Marsden's and Bill Burr presidents take over and ensure that Unfrosted is as far removed from a serious exploration of food legend as you're likely to get and absolutely the type of film that only Netflix would dare finance.
With a name brand cast that includes more cameos than you can care too name (a particular cameo from two iconic TV actors/characters is sure to be a massive talking point), Unfrosted was clearly the type of project where Seinfeld was gifted the keys to the kingdom to bring his vision to life yet while there's a lot of fun to be had from anticipating who will come up next in proceedings, there's not a lot of glue holding everything together here as Unfrosted's flurry of ideas and gags get lost amongst each other with only a few key moments standing out from the crowd.
As was also the case with the iconic Seinfeld series, Seinfeld himself has never been what you'd call a good actor and his lack of performing smarts and odd charisma make you wish that there was another actor who could've fitted into Bob's shoes with Seinfeld relegated to a supporting role but alas this was always designed as a passion project for the legendary comic and there's undoubted love for the project here from its creator who almost wills Unfrosted into an existence where it works against the odds.
Final Say -
A totally unique comedy offering from an industry stalwart we don't see or hear from a lot these days, Unfrosted is far wackier than you'd expect and misses more often than it hits but there's enough goodwill and cheap laughs on offer here that will see it work to an acceptable level for most.
2 1/2 spy mops out of 5
Jordan and Eddie (The Movie Guys)