Preface
I’m a breakfast cereal enthusiast and I love Jerry Seinfeld so I’ve been eagerly anticipating the release of Unfrosted on Netflix. I have fond memories of eating Trix cereal and watching Saturday morning cartoons. Drinking the pink milk out of the bowl at the end was so satisfying, sometimes I even asked for a second bowl. But if you’re an oatmeal kind of person or don’t enjoy Seinfeld’s brand of humor, this movie might not be for you.
Summary
The movie takes place in Battle Creek, Michigan during the 1960’s. The story involves the masterminds behind two breakfast cereal giants - Post and Kellogg’s. The madcap competition to discover a winning formula for what will become heat-able breakfast rectangles (Pop-Tarts) drives the story forward.
My Take
The vintage aesthetic of this straight-to-Netflix silly romp was just what I craved. The references to my favorite childhood toys like Sea Monkeys, Silly Putty, and Wheel-o instantly put a smile on my face. Much like getting to the prize at the bottom of the cereal box, celebrity cameos kept me wanting to take another spoonful. Who’s inside that Tony the Tiger costume? Isn’t that milkman what’s-his-name? Look closely at Snap! Crackle! and Pop! The banter was fast-paced and the characters were reminiscent of those you would meet on an episode of Seinfeld. The performances met my expectations, and I particularly enjoyed Jim Gaffigan, Max Greenfield and Jack McBrayer.
Unfrosted pokes a lot of fun at what we accepted as nutrition back in those days. Too much sugar? Let’s use high fructose corn syrup instead! Ravioli and meatballs in a can - great idea, Chef-Boyardee. This movie points to how our food choices were more heavily influenced by marketing executives than nutritional experts. Kid-appeal was a priority. As a child I was invested in the characters, the prizes and the sugary flavors. Perhaps that’s why this film won me over.
Review
The beginning of this movie was like a bowl of your favorite breakfast cereal just after pouring milk into the bowl - crisp, flavorful and the joy of knowing you’ve got lots more to go before it’s all gone. The middle becomes a little soggy, but still edible with lots of clever one-liners and classic Seinfeldian humor. The ending was sweetly satisfying and there were some surprises. Zany as expected, but it offered lots of extras - like reading the funnies on the back of a cereal box.
If you are interested in something more factual, watch the Breakfast Barons episode of The Foods that Built America on the History Channel. Watch Unfrosted to remember a more carefree time before A1C levels were part of your lexicon.
My Rating: It's GR-R-REAT!
Have you seen Unfrosted? Let me know what you thought.
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