Tuesday, May 14, 2024

'UNFROSTED'.....CEREAL KILLERS......


 Unfrosted (2024)    From the sheer amount of critical vitriol that this Netflix movie generated, you'd think co-writer and director Jerry Seinfeld had made a snuff film.......

           Let's all calm down, shall we?

           We realize that's a futile request since in our current culture and discourse, everything on TV, streaming and theaters is judged as either an instant classic or the worst piece of crap ever produced.....with no middle ground whatsoever.....

           So what are we to say about this frantic comedy that purports to tell the story of Kellog's development of Pop Tarts, but in actuality, plays like a four minute SNL skit dragged out to 97 minutes.

          The levels of comedy on display here whip around faster than an Oklahoma tornado...... you can sample some clever social satire (everything from the Cuban Missile Crisis to Jan. 6th), some slapstick, some dumb sight gags that look lifted the 'Airplane!' movies......and a cast of seasoned comedians vying to see who can spit out gags faster. 

          We know you want to ask one basic question......is any of this funny?

          Sometimes. Honest, that's the best you can hope for. The comedy is splattered against the wall like bowls of spaghetti, in the hopes that some of it will stick. 

           Some of it does. But you'll have to decide for yourselves how much of it tickles you.  

             And after viewing a few minutes of this film, we know a lot of folks will find it exhaustively silly and dumb....dumb....DUMB....IN ALL CAPS.....

               Others might want to extract some yocks by trying to successfully list the dozens of cameo roles that pop up. 

                 And the overall effect?  You could find yourself laughing sporadically in between long pauses for gaping stares......or surrender to the silliness and appreciate the film's total devotion to satirical lunacy pitched at the speed of an old Warner Brothers' Loony Toon.  

                Comedy always remains the most subjective, eye-of-the-beholder art form......you either laugh or you don't. 

                 True confession....BQ did laugh, more than few times. But then again, we groaned more than few times, too.  Which is why the best rating we'll pour on to this....uh....flaky bowl of foolery.....(and we consider this generous...)  2 & 1/2 stars (**1/2).

               Try it, by all means. But if it's not poking your funny bone the way you think it should, go back to the wishlist on your Netflix menu. 

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