Butter 2011

Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: Director Jim Field Smith and newcomer screenwriter Jason Micallef can't or don't care to distinguish the elements of audacity and satirical cleverness from those of mockery and crudeness. Read more

James Rocchi, MSN Movies: Butter is laid on too thick, and in other places it's spread too thin, and it never quite develops a flavor of its own. Read more

Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times: Drippy sentiment and coarse political satire vie for control of "Butter," a two-faced sendup of heartland obsession that wants to have its toast and eat it too. Read more

Rex Reed, New York Observer: The first movie in history that makes Hugh Jackman look repulsive. Read more

John Anderson, Wall Street Journal: The film grows increasingly mirthful as the characters come into focus, and the casting is the key: Ms. Garner, who also helped produce the film, has a gift for catty roles ... Read more

Sam Adams, AV Club: A toothless, insufferably smug satire using competitive butter-carving as a weak-tea stand-in for Midwestern politics ... Read more

Barbara VanDenburgh, Arizona Republic: "Butter" is funny in spots, but it's so preoccupied with landing below-the-belt cultural jabs that it misses the opportunity for laying out biting social commentary. Read more

Ty Burr, Boston Globe: A shrill, cartoonish mess - not a total disaster, but no one's idea of a good movie. Read more

Tom Long, Detroit News: Director Jim Field Smith keeps the quirky characters coming with smooth efficiency and throws in some nice touches along the way. Read more

William Goss, Film.com: Once the wilted satire of Jason Micallef's script is stripped away, what's left is a generally amusing competition comedy. Read more

Todd McCarthy, Hollywood Reporter: Hardly the high-priced spread, this condescending comedy about Middle America will score with some audiences and put off others. Read more

Sheri Linden, Los Angeles Times: Given the talent assembled for this diversion, you can't believe it's not better. Read more

Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger: The movie's entire superior attitude is kind of annoying. Read more

Joel Arnold, NPR: Butter thrives on skewering characters whose self-importance isolates them completely from the consequences of their actions. Read more

Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: It's one thing to create biting social satire; it's quite another to shoot at such easy targets. Read more

Kyle Smith, New York Post: At times, the Midwestern satire "Butter" is almost funny, and in its honor I almost laughed. Read more

Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: Butter wishes it were a Christopher Guest sendup but comes off like a cheap imitation. Read more

Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle: At 90 minutes it feels inflated, and though clearly intended as funny, it's difficult to locate, except in the most general terms, the focus of the movie's satire, and there's not a laugh to be had. Read more

Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune: This film is dumb, blunt-instrument parody. Read more

David Fear, Time Out: Political satire requires a sure hand; this wink-wink attempt at milking the culture wars for comic commentary is downright butterfingered. Read more

Scott Bowles, USA Today: Butter is a film more enamored of its premise than interested in making it work. Read more

Peter Debruge, Variety: A wicked Midwest satire with razor blades stashed beneath its bright candy-apple surface. Read more

Nick Schager, Village Voice: Plays like one long, slow descent into cloying moralizing and uplift that's well past its expiration date. Read more

Sean O'Connell, Washington Post: We're still just scratching the surface of witty, provocative humor as long as envelope-pushing directors such as Jim Field Smith continue to find work. Read more