VOD Review: Butter

Another week, another Video-on-Demand rental of a smaller comedy loaded with pretty big names. Such is Butter.

In a small Iowa town, butter sculpting is king. When Bob Pickler (Ty Burrell), the fifteen-year reigning champ is asked to step down and give someone else a chance, his power hungry wife Laura (Jennifer Garner) decides to step up and take his place. Meanwhile young Destiny (Yara Shahidi) also decides butter sculpting may be her new passion, entering the county competition as Laura's main threat, with the support of her new foster parents (Rob Corddry and Alicia Silverstone).

Butter tries to be a quirky little comedy that feels rather standard. As outlandish as butter carving might seem, it all still comes down to an underdog facing unfair odds in a competition. But there are some extremely funny, if sometimes over-the-top, performances. Garner's normal sweet charm is darkened by her desire to run the town and win the competition by any means necessary. Olivia Wilde is hilariously raunchy as a stripper determined to make the Picklers suffer. Yet on the flip side Corddry downplays his usual comedy chops as he sweetly encourages Destiny in her buttery dreams. Even Hugh Jackman pops in briefly as greasy, used car salesman. And when the jokes don't always work, it's these oddball performances that keep Butter intriguing.

Butter may not make great strides in mocking the heartland of the US, but it does provide some decent humor and sheds new a light on some old talents. And if for nothing else, you get to see some truly awesome artery-clogging art.