REVIEW: UNFROSTED

3.5/5

No Cereal For You.

93 Mins. Starring: Jerry Seinfeld, Melissa McCarthy, Jim Gaffigan, Max Greenfield, Hugh Grant & Amy Schumer. Director: Jerry Seinfeld. On: Netflix.

How's this for a bit over breakfast? Cue the sitcom bass guitar. Jerry Seinfeld recently got a frosty reaction online for saying comedy is too safe and PC these days, at the risk of offending people (you know he's right). But you know what the funny thing...his straight shooting and wit laced comedy has always played it picket fence, suburb safe. And we love that about him. Just as much as we love Jim Carrey's impression of him. Or the show 'Seinfeld' co-creator Larry David curbed, keeping our enthusiasm going for twelve seasons and a lot of social situations and faux pas triggered into classic comedy canon oblivion. Jerry almost got 'Seinfeld' finale level disdain for these observations. A wrong he and David righted with the meta finale of 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' last month. Still, the most stand-up guy in comedy like that, still helps out his fellow funny man...and woman. And it seems like they're all here in Jerry Seinfeld's directorial debut on Netflix, this week. The place he gave the classic morning routine of 'Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee'.  Breakfast can't wait this time though, like Prince playing with David Chappelle's impression of him.

The founder of Kellogg's may have something to say about the factual accuracies of this brekkie biopic that does for the most important meal of the day what Greta and Margot did for 'Barbie'. But Kenough of all that. A talking ravioli that stretches Netflix's CGI budget that already went on more guest spots than we can say...or spoil like your dinner if you snack on cereal with a movie beforehand (as if you're not watching this home movie streaming service throwback gem with corn flakes instead of popcorn). This Pop Tart origin story is super and one of the most offbeat and funniest things you'll see this month in Netflix's comedy fest headlined by the return of John Mulaney (check out his 'My Next Guest' interview with David Letterman) for his live 'Everybody's In LA' special, featuring Seinfeld on the couch as a great gag of a guest in the first episode. Like roasting Tom Brady...Netflix is well and truly a joke right now...and a good one at that. What we will say about the special guests stepping up to the mic is that it doesn't get much better than Walter Cronkite, Andy Warhol and JFK...of course not the actual people, but the people playing them...who we'll never squeal on. Let's just say one of them has no business being in a Seinfeld show with that potty mouth and that hair must have been taken on the same trip to Turkey as Jerry, because that hairline is the best comeback story like the one we're going to see with Kramer. You just had to shed a tear on the red carpet with Michael Richards...even if the K man's rumoured role is on a milk carton here.

There's plenty to get your spoon into though as you get your multipack fill. Buttering your toast, but not frosting these flakes (way to piss in them, Jer), Seinfeld conceived this idea during COVID, whilst we were figuring out whether three bowls of cereal could constitute as three square meals when we forgot to do our supermarket run before the lockdown. It turns out, working away at his craft, Jerry is just as good a director, as he is a comic and actor...or should that be, comic actor? Writing his own bits and riffing on the most random movie of the year that also takes on one subject he sends up, perfectly and pointedly. But again, we won't spoil the show. It's a gas. And the laughing one is turned on, as the toaster is dialled up to eleven. This jam is hot with great support from some of the funniest in the biz, from Melissa McCarthy to Amy Schumer...wonder what it would be like to have these two classic comediennes in the same movie, no more. Not to mention fellow compelling, clean comic Jim Gaffigan sweeping the tablecloth from under everyone, or 'New Girl's' Max Greenfield as the best boy, amazing assistant, playing it all off perfectly. Add that milk to all the classic cameo, surprise toys in the pack and the best use of cereal for a hangover. Not to mention a classic snap, crackle and pop that Larry David would love the reference of like a Krazee-Eyez Killa, and the best advertising firm around to shell this product in the 50s. And what you have is the icing on the top of a terrific tall tale with all the trimmings. Hold the frosting on these corn flakes that go down easy like the milk, man, because when you see who Hugh Grant is playing, that's when you'll see how grrreat this bowled over cereal really is. TIM DAVID HARVEY.

Further Filming: 'Seinfeld', 'The Founder', 'John Mulaney Presents: Everybody's In LA'.