Published by Mason Oldridge, 7 May 2024
CONTAINS SPOILERS!
Jerry Seinfield might have had a hit on his hands in the 90s with his self-titled sitcom, though he crashes and burns with his directorial debut.
The plot details the 1960s creation of the toaster pastries Pop-Tarts and the battle between cereal companies Kellogg’s and Post to deliver it to shelves first. Now, in case you can’t tell from the plot that this isn’t a story worth telling on the big screen, the movie proves it isn’t.
Despite a star-studded cast including Seinfield, Jim Gilligan, Melissa McCarthy, Amy Schumer and Hugh Grant as well as appearances from Peter Dinklage, Jon Hamm and Dan Levy, the comedy is virtually non-existent. There are consistent jokes throughout, they’re just not funny and painfully don’t land. In fact, the only comical joke in the film, in which the rival companies each have moles with obvious cameras on their apparatus, is the only element keeping this film from not obtaining a 0 rating. The comedy reaches an all-time low with the creation of the alive ravioli formed as a sea monkey wrapped in pastry. SMH.
Furthermore, with most scenes it is not entirely clear what is going on and how the current act is contributing towards the goal of getting the product to market. However, this is more likely to occur as the film goes on as viewers are bound to zone out, making the movie feel like it has a much longer runtime than it actually does. Watching till the end will certainly result in a mind-numbing and irritable feeling.
It is shocking that a reputable and successful streaming giant such as Netflix would distribute such a terrible project. There is one word that stands out when summing up this film. Embarrassing.
1/10