The real-life rivalry between two leading cereal-makers in the 1960s leads to a poptastic breakfast creation in this daft ‘made-up origin tale’ co-written and directed by Jerry Seinfeld…

Summary:

Michigan, 1960s. With cereal-maker Kellogg’s dominating the market, rival Post pins its hopes on a new kind of milkless breakfast pastry. Fearing annihilation from Post’s innovation, Kellogg’s sets about getting its own version to market first, bringing together a host of unlikely ‘experts’ and enraging Big Milk, a South American sugar kingpin, and the cereal mascots in the process.

Review:

*Spoilers* There are films which effectively shine a light on the corporate world, showing us the wheeling and dealing through satire, comedy or drama, with high-stakes, big bucks and go-getters. Unfrosted is not any of that. Essentially, it is a big bowl of sugary nonsense. While not necessarily a bad thing, it unfortunately runs out of steam in the second half, leaving it – not unlike the Pop Tart itself – mired in goo.

Calling this film ‘based on a true story’ is a bit like suggesting Froot Loops count as one of your daily recommended fruit and veg portions. Indeed, the filmmakers freely admit this is a ‘made-up origin tale’, which simply takes the real-life set-up of rivalry between Post and Kellogg’s as the starting point for 95 minutes of random zaniness.

The film starts promisingly, with Kellogg’s exec Bob Cabana (Jerry Seinfeld, who also directed and co-wrote) marshalling his peppy mascots, Snap, Crackle ‘n Pop, and finessing haughty English thespian Thurl Ravenscroft (Hugh Grant) through a commercial in his guise as Frosties’ Tony the Tiger. We are further drawn into this cartoonish ‘too good to be true’ movie world with a detour through the Bowl & Spoon awards, with the actual Quaker behind the oat brand the subject of much ridicule for his simple grain. We are then thrust into the main narrative – Post’s attempts to develop its breakfast pastry and Kellogg’s frantic attempts to beat its rival.

Unfortunately, as we venture further into act two, the wafer-thin premise starts to soak in the milk a little too long. Cabana recruits his old right-hand woman Stan (Melissa McCarthy) and we plod on through a series of ‘bits’, as the ragtag team of inexplicables she assembles sets about making their codenamed ‘dingus’. Along the way, there are short excursions to Puerto Rico and Russia, and a trip to the White House to meet with JFK, who’s in hot water with Jackie over ‘that blonde woman’ who sang him ‘Happy Birthday’.

By the time we arrive a midpoint, we’ve had Jack LaLanne’s exploding pants, a military-style funeral led by cereal mascots, complete with a milky send off, and a ‘sea monkey’ ravioli running amok (cooked up by Chef Boyardee and a German who’s a little too coy when it comes to his whereabouts in the 1940s). If all of that sounds like a good time, then this may be the film for you.

Amid the nonsense, there are a few clever moments, which it would be a shame to spoil, with a couple of the cameos raising a smile. There are also attempts to gently satirize the mafia, with the “Five Cereal Families” meeting at Barzini’s grocery store and strong-arm tactics by the onery milkmen who fear a dairy-free breakfast. Likewise, the film sprinkles on a dusting of organised labour, US-Russia tensions and the space race. However, to pretend that this is (or was intended to be) anything other than pure silliness would be futile.

It is also hard to fault the worthy acting. Seinfeld is – as always – Seinfeld, playing the happy-go-lucky straight-man. McCarthy is a witty foil, while Jim Gaffigan is strong as the righteous Edsel Kellogg III. On the other side, Amy Schumer plays up her ‘baddie’ role as Marjorie Post, with Max Greenfield as her hapless underling. One wonders what they added to Grant’s bowl of Corn Flakes to get him to sign up for all this malarky but he fully commits to his role, morphing from indignant, demeaned actor in a stupid suit to a kind of felt-clad Che Guevara leading his fellow mascots in a revolt.

Things bumble along until the predicable climax, when the Pop Tart hits the shelves to great acclaim and – gosh darn it – Kellogg’s is saved. At this point, we are about down to the dusty stuff at the bottom of the cereal bag. However, we are then treated to a fun musical number, which reminds us that while it can be tempting to pull apart a film like this, it essentially delivers what it sets out to – an undemanding zany tale that people can dip into and enjoy like a Kellogg’s Variety pack.

Indeed, just as a Pop Tart doesn’t set out to be anything loftier than a great way to start your day, Unfrosted simply serves up a helping of harmless screen silliness. Sadly, the hit and miss nature of this silliness means that, just as some people prefer eggs or a piece of toast, there will be those who find the tale too sparse and sugary to be at all satisfying.

Overall, while Unfrosted is not the unmitigated failure some have suggested, it’s hard not to feel disappointed that the quirky premise and the talent involved couldn’t have resulted in something fortified with a little more comedy nutrition.

Writer takeaways

Never let the truth get in the way of a good story!: Sometimes, historical events can simply provide a jumping-off point for an inventive screen story.

More isn’t always better: While comedy often benefits from multiple voices, the fact that Unfrosted has four credited writers may have contributed to its scattered narrative and hit and miss tone that sometimes feels like ‘guys in a room making each other laugh’, which is not always to the benefit of the audience.

Watch Unfrosted on Netflix (subscription required)

Go further:

Watch the trailer:

You can watch and read more about the film from Seinfeld himself, here: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/jerry-seinfeld-on-unfrosted-the-made-up-origin-tale-of-pop-tarts/

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Check out our list of even more quirky fact-based films, or if all the zaniness is a little too much, you might like these films set in the business world, which also feature household-name companies and brands…

• The rise and fall of the first cell phone with a keyboard is the subject of Blackberry (2023), as two brilliant nerds get the chance to become tech titans with the help of a slick salesman who senses a money-making opportunity.
• Flamin’ Hot (2023) is the inspirational tale of Richard Montañez, a janitor at Frito-Lay, who – legend has it, at least – invented Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, which put the snack company back on the map.
• Air tells of attempts by Nike to secure up and coming basketball player Michael Jordan to promote its brand by developing a sneaker developed just for him, the now iconic Air Jordans.
• The Founder (2016) tells of Ray Kroc, a small-time salesman who grew the McDonald’s brand into a household name, at the expense of the brothers who founded the first restaurant. Take a look at the trailer: