Film Pick of the Week: Unfrosted - review by Yvette Huddleston

Seinfeld plays Kelloggs’ head of development Bob Cabana who has an inkling that their rivals Post, headed up by the formidable Marjorie Post (Amy Schumer), are about to launch something new onto the market. His suspicions are aroused at the annual Bowl and Spoon Awards when Kelloggs sweep the board but Marjorie seems serenely unperturbed. He mentions his concerns to his boss Edsel Kellogg III (Jim Gaffigan) who at first doesn’t take his worries seriously. However, after some hilariously inept industrial espionage, it becomes apparent that Post are developing a square baked breakfast treat with sweet ‘goo’ in the middle.

Kelloggs need to catch up quickly, so Bob gets in touch with old friend and former employee Donna ‘Stan’ Stankowski (Melissa McCarthy) who is now working as a NASA food scientist. Initially sceptical, she is persuaded to come back on board at Kelloggs and assembles a ‘crack’ team of experts to work with her on the project. They include, slightly bizarrely, an ice cream manufacturer, a fitness guru and a children’s bicycle specialist. While in the background the race for space is unfolding, the opposing sides enlist the help of some very high-profile players. For Kelloggs it is President Kennedy (Bill Burr) – who snaps irascibly “don’t ask me what I can do for you – didn’t you hear my inauguration speech?” – while Post approaches Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev (Dean Norris). Experimentation continues and there are some very funny scenes in which the team try to come up with a name.

There are some classy performers in small roles, including Christian Slater as a sinister milkman and a scene-stealing appearance from Hugh Grant as an ageing Shakespearean actor now reduced to dressing up in a sweltering costume to play Tony the Tiger. Plus some brilliant, starry cameos including a hilarious sequence involving Mad Men’s Jon Hamm and John Slattery as a couple of fancy ad executives who come up with a wholly inappropriate ‘sexy’ campaign for what is a children’s breakfast treat. It is all very silly, amiable, top-quality fun with a fabulous supporting cast of gifted Saturday Night Live alumni.