Jerry Seinfeld's 'Unfrosted' is a really stupid movie. And I mean that as a compliment

I’m a big fan of stupid.

OK, yeah, yeah, make your jokes here. But stupidity is like cumin or tarragon — you have to know how to use it, and use it sparingly, for it to be effective.

Jerry Seinfeld knows stupid.

I’m not talking about his latest “woke killed comedy” remarks floating around the internet. He’s been saying that stuff for years. I’m talking about “Unfrosted,” a new film he co-wrote, directs and stars in about the invention of Pop-Tarts.

It is incredibly stupid. Gleefully stupid. Relentlessly stupid.

It’s also really funny. Is it any good? That does not seem to be a major consideration.

Who is in 'Unfrosted?' (Who isn't, more like)

You know how “Seinfeld,” surely one of the greatest comedy series in TV history, was famously about nothing? No hugging, no learning? “Unfrosted” is, ostensibly at least, about something — the war between Kellogg’s and Post to create a toaster pastry. But there’s precious little hugging and anything you learn from this movie would probably be wrong.

That’s not what Seinfeld is after. He’s after laughs. Nothing more, nothing less. And in large part, he gets them.

Seinfeld plays Bob Cabana, an executive at Kellogg’s who has come up with a lot of cereal and breakfast food ideas. He reports to Edsel Kellogg III (Jim Gaffigan), a somewhat doltish fellow who inherited the company. Long story short: Bob finds kids risking their lives to scrounge through the dumpsters outside Post, eating the pastry and the fruit filling, mixed together, and realizes that Post is working on a new product — based on his research.

Bob immediately convinces Edsel to hire back Stan — Donna Stankowski (Melissa McCarthy, who can’t not be funny), a brilliant, headstrong mind now working for NASA. They compile an all-star team of inventors, including bike maker Steve Schwinn (Jack McBrayer), Chef Boy Ardee (Bobby Moynihan) and ice cream man Tom Carvel (Adrian Martinez), to try to beat Post to the punch.

Not that they really need to. Marjorie Post (Amy Schumer) and her assistant Rick (Max Greenfield) can’t get out of their own way. A lot of absurd industrial espionage and idiotic antics follow.

Perhaps you have noticed that Seinfeld has assembled a pretty top-flight cast. There’s more, a lot more. Hugh Grant is great as an arrogant, difficult and fictionalized version of Thurl Ravenscroft, the real-life voice of Tony the Tiger who also sang “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch.” Christian Slater and Peter Dinklage are part of the powerful milk mafia (long story). Cedric the Entertainer hosts a cereal awards dinner. Fred Armisen is an FDA inspector. Bill Barr is John F. Kennedy.

You get the idea. The most-inspired casting made me laugh out loud when the actors showed up. There’s no way I’m going to ruin that.

Best sleeper hit of 2023? 'Linoleum,' a low-budget stunner that plays with time, memory

Is 'Unfrosted' based on a true story?

Everyone is both in on the joke and completely invested in getting a laugh. Like most broad comedy, not every joke lands. I didn’t keep a tally of what the percentage of hits vs. misses is, but I’m confident that more jokes landed than not.

As a director, Seinfeld has a lot of tools to play with — including an evidently sizable budget for the cast. (As an actor, he’s about like he was in “Seinfeld” — passable.) Everything is designed to look like the early ’60s, only through a distorted lens. For instance, Walter Cronkite (Kyle Dunnigan) is a weird, sad drunk who, when he’s not delivering the news, plays with the toys you ordered from the back of comic books way back when.

Post really did announce a toaster pastry, and Kellogg’s really did beat them to market. There are some genuine facts like that sprinkled throughout the film, but Seinfeld is not one to let facts get in the way of a good laugh.

In this case, that’s a good thing. A stupid thing, maybe, but that’s the point.

'Unfrosted' 3.5 stars

Great ★★★★★ Good ★★★★

Fair ★★★ Bad ★★ Bomb ★

Director: Jerry Seinfeld.

Cast: Jerry Seinfeld, Melissa McCarthy, Jim Gaffigan.

Rating: PG-13 for some suggestive references and language.

How to watch: Streaming on Netflix Friday, May 3.

Reach Goodykoontz at bill.goodykoontz@arizonarepublic.com. Facebook: facebook.com/GoodyOnFilm. X: @goodyk. Subscribe to the weekly movies newsletter.

Subscribe to azcentral.com today. What are you waiting for?

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: 'Unfrosted' review: Jerry Seinfeld's Pop-Tart movie is stupid funny