Unfrosted

Unfrosted mixes a bunch of comedians together in a silly story and the result is about as good as eating Pop-Tarts. It's not great, but it's enjoyable enough if you're in the right mood. If this were a short comedy sketch on Saturday Night Live it would probably be pretty popular. The humor is very on-the-nose. It's not trying to be subtle at all. You can tell that the cast probably had a great time hanging out while making the movie, and most likely made up some of the jokes on the spot. I laughed a few times but, much like eating a Pop-Tart, I felt a little let down by the experience afterwards.

This is like a movie made to include all the banter in the writers' room for a sitcom. Like, "Hey, what if the Seinfeld character gets out of his car and he's rolling it barefoot like Fred Flintstone's car," one writer would say, and another writer would say, "and he's got a big rock in the back for a brake like an anchor." And the room chuckles and instead of just moving on, they put it in the show. The cameos of actors and comics are fun. The old brand names are cool, except no one under 60 will understand many of them. It's silly, cartoonish, and basically pointless. See it as a lark that got produced because Seinfeld is Seinfeld. Throw your critical standards to the wind and guess who's playing the Walter Cronkite character.

If you think of this as an extended SNL skit,and keep that in mind while you're watching it, I think you'll really appreciate it.

It's silly but very funny in places because of it.

If you know Jerry Seinfeld's comedy you can see this is very much from his mind.

The story is simply fun but the performances of the cast, many of whom are stand-up comedians like Seinfeld, make it really watchable. I actually found it fun wondering which famous face might pop up next. When they do appear they often come with numerous historical or pop culture references. So, along with the basic silliness of what you're being told and shown it all adds up to a bowl full of happy. (No more cereal puns I promise). I originally put this film on while I was working just to have some background noise but found myself drawn to watching it properly because I was so amused but also really impressed with the visual style of the film. Apart from the beautiful aesthetics of the 60s, they managed to add to the visual appeal with the art / direction style. They convey a somewhat dreamlike or fantasy-esque appearance about what you're shown without it being too "Willy wonka". If you remember that what you're seeing is a story being told by an adult to a child, it completely works and simply looks grrrrreat. (Sorry).

Really good fun, deserves better reviews, hence why I felt compelled to write this one.

Nice one Jerry.

This a really funny film but the drawback is that the references are all so specific to the early 60's (with a few anachronisms) that a lot of younger reviewers will have their hair parted by the sheer volume of jokes going over their heads. They can however enjoy the stacked cast (loved Bill Burr as JFK) and I dare I say that it manages to redeem some actors like Amy Schumer and Melissa McCarthy who have been in the cultural doghouse for quite some time. The script is packed with all sorts of wild ideas and sometimes even gives some food for thought. What at first seemed like a silly idea for a story reminded me that that's what comedies are and the script had so much detail that I was reminded of all sorts of movies from Blake Edwards to Willy Wonka. Thanks Jerry for making an actual comedic movie - something I haven't seen in a long while.

Maybe I built up "Unfrosted" too much, in my mind. When I heard about this movie, I got excited. And when I saw the cast, I nearly hyperventilated. But, when I finally watched it, I fell asleep.

This movie had so much potential and it had some really funny moments. But it lacked so many elements that make a great comedy movie. It needed frosting.

The look and feel of the movie was retro and bright and cool. It had a "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" vibe with a quick and witty script, snappy interactions, and a very intentional pacing. What it was missing is heart and moments that make you care about the characters. It was as if they made a script out of one of Seinfeld's bits (which they sort of did). It was like one long joke that never paused to let jokes land or slowed to build a connection with the audience. It was as if it was written by a first time director and screen writer (which is also true). This movie needs to go back to the creators and be re-written.

There are comedy and acting icons in this movie. I wish someone had stopped to ask them for their input on the scenes they were in. Or, watch season one and two of "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" and follow that blueprint.

"Unfrosted" felt rushed, like they had to get the plot and all of the jokes in by a certain time, but character development, chemistry, and connection with the audience wasn't a concern. There is beauty in silence and pauses between delivered lines. The audience needs time to marinate about what they have watched, from time to time.

I was also disappointed that none of the cast from "Seinfeld" had cameos. This is a movie where Jason Alexander would have shined and Julia Louis-Dreyfus makes everything better simply with her presence.

"Unfrosted" was underwhelming. Tons of potential with moments of laughter and times where it hits the target. It should be re-made, but this time add some frosting.