What’s the deal with Unfrosted, you ask? Well, imagine Jerry Seinfeld’s voice, that unmistakable inflection of his. The comedian, known for one of the most successful TV shows ever made, is now wearing a new hat for the Netflix film, which also marks his feature film directorial debut. But, unfortunately, the critics aren’t warming up to Kellogg’s or the rise of the Pop-Tarts. As of now, Unfrosted only scores 41% on the Tomatometer, with 61 reviews posted via Rotten Tomatoes.
MovieWeb’s own Greg Archer, while giving the flick a “good” score (3 out of 5), did find some positive points to address. Archer writes, “What Unfrosted lacks in depth, it more than makes up for in outrageous subplots, one-off jokes, quirky encounters between characters, and references about the era, advertising and branding, and the kind of people Americans were before things became far too divided.”
However, Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun-Times roasts Unfrosted, stating, “If there was a thing called the IMDB Witness Protection Program whereby you could get your name taken off the credits of a particular project, this would be that project.”
Tim Robey of the Daily Telegraph (UK) adds, “Seinfeld’s affable mugging is no compensation for putting us through a glorified pitch session anyone sane would have nipped in the bud.”
Contrary to the nine memorable seasons of Seinfeld, which to this day boasts an 89% rating on the Tomatometer, Unfrosted is barely keeping its head above milk at 41%. The news isn’t better with the fans either, as Unfrosted only holds a 51% audience score against 50+ ratings. David Fear of Rolling Stone remarks, “It’s impossible to assemble this much comedic talent and not get a bullseye occasionally, yet the hit-to-miss ratio favors the latter way too much.”
Jerry Seinfeld’s press tour promoting Unfrosted has arguably been more entertaining than his new Netflix film. Seinfeld continues making jokes about facing “Pop-Tart charges” in a court of law, because he never asked permission from Kellogg’s to make the movie. That’s scoring well in the press, but many critics just aren’t impressed by Unfrosted, even with a cast that includes Hugh Grant, Jim Gaffigan, Melissa McCarthy, Amy Schumer and so many more well-known and talented actors.
Brian Lowry of CNN writes, “Far from a passion project, this Netflix film distinctly feels like a punchline in search of a movie, built on a soggy parade of sugary cameos that doesn’t provide much snap, crackle and pop.”
Ben Travis of Empire magazine adds, “If Pop-Tarts are barely a breakfast, Unfrosted is barely a movie — but it’s sprinkled with solid gags, stuffed with super-silly guest appearances, and lovingly glazed in sweet ’60s trappings.”
Fortunately, it’s not all bad news for Jerry Seinfeld and his Unfrosted film. Owen Gleiberman of Variety says, “Unfrosted, in its way, is a quintessential comedian’s movie. It thumbs its nose at everything without necessarily believing in anything. Yet it has an agreeable crunch.”
And Sheri Linden of The Hollywood Reporter writes, “For those willing to put aside reality for 90 minutes, as Unfrosted does with gusto, the Netflix movie whips up a frothy sendup of storytelling tropes and clichés.”
And be sure to check out MovieWeb’s full Unfrosted review, by the aforementioned author, Greg Archer, declaring that Jerry Seinfeld’s feature film directorial debut is “tasty but full of empty calories.”
