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Unfrosted is a comedy film by first-time director Jerry Seinfeld from a screenplay he co-wrote with his writing team of Spike Feresten, Barry Marder and Andy Robin. The film follows Bob Cabana, the head of development at Kellogg's, as he tries to beat the rival company Post and win the breakfast war for Kellogg's.
Through Kellogg's and Post cereal race, Unfrosted satirizes many historical events, most specifically the Cold War rivalry between the United States and the USSR.
The film even features a Bill Burr version of John F. Kennedy, supporting Kellogg's to beat Post, who pivot towards USSR for Cuban sugar. Kellogg's ultimately beat their rivals, because their Pop-Tart get sold out within 60 seconds.
The film features an ensemble of comedic legends, including Jerry Seinfeld, Hugh Grant, Sarah Cooper, Melissa McCarthy, Jim Gaffigan, James Marsden, and Amy Schumer.
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The film was released in the United States on May 3, 2024. In this article, we explore the ending of the film.
Minor spoilers for Unfrosted ahead.
Pop-Tart won the breakfast battle for Kellogg's in Unfrosted
Set in the hot period of the Cold War, that's between the launch of Sputnik 1 and the moon landing, Unfrosted is about the rivalry between corporate giants Kellogg's and Post as they engage in a race to create the next big American breakfast snack, which mirrors the space race. They use all the dirty tactics in the book, from espionage to resource blocking to reach their goal.
Seinfeld plays a made-up person named Bob Cabana who works at the uppermost level of Kellogg's. When Post perfects a breakfast formula Kellogg's has been working on for years, Bob Cabana and his boss become desperate to create something revolutionary to beat their rivals. In the process, Bob goes through the milk mafia, the Mexican sugar mafia and even angry mascots.
Cabana ropes in an ex-Kellogg’s NASA scientist, Donna Stankowski, because of her acumen in food innovation. Stankowski brings in the most eclectic minds to work on the product.
Eventually, Bob and their team create Pop-Tart, and the name becomes an instant raging hit with children in America. With that, Kellogg’s secures its ultimate grip as the winner of the competition.
Is Unfrosted based on a true story?
No, as fun as it sounds, Unfrosted is not a true story. Jerry Seinfeld plays a made-up character. And everyone he recruits and comes across in his pursuit to win the breakfast war is made up too.
However, the film does feature some caricatures of real-life people, like US President John F. Kennedy and the two companies that the film is based on, were actually rivals.
The movie is a mishmash of fact and fiction and goofing around. But the purpose of the film is not to tell a truly motivational story but to satirize historical events.
Unfrosted is not a true story but a satire
Unfrosted is set in a time when the world was watching the two superpowers, the United States and the USSR, lock horns on multiple fronts. There was a hot war in Korea, Vietnam, Cuba and the global south, and the economic and ideological cold war to get to the top.
The film plays out the rivalry between the breakfast giants and the space race between the superpowers. As the USSR raced ahead by launching the first artificial satellite Sputnik 1, Post created a delicious breakfast that could break Kellogg's hegemony. And Kellogg's mirrors the United States' desperation to race ahead with moon landing, by creating the Pop-Tarts.
There's a subplot to buying sugar from Cuba, which creates a similar situation to the 1962, Cuban Missile Crisis. However, the wackiest part of the film is the mascot rebellion, led by Hugh Grant's Tony the Tiger. The mascot rebellion is a parody of the attack on the Capitol building on January 6, 2021.
Final Thoughts
With Unfrosted, Jerry Seinfeld flexes his carefree muscles behind the camera. He has loaded the film with as many weird and eccentric characters as possible and got actors like Peter Dinklage, Christian Slater, Dean Norris and even Jon Hamm, to play them.
The satirical take on the Cold War through the breakfast war between two corporate giants works in bits and pieces. The film is funny but might not be for everyone.
The film is available to stream on Netflix.
