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Miley Stewart (Miley Cyrus) truly has the best of both worlds. A normal awkward teenager by day, Miley just needs a wig and some makeup to transform into teen pop superstar Hannah Montana. Lately, though, one world is winning out—and Hannah’s getting out of control. She’s started blowing off her family—and her best friend, Lilly (Emily Osment)—for shopping sprees and appearances.
After Hannah’s catfight with Tyra Banks makes gossip pages everywhere, Miley’s dad, Robby Ray (Billy Ray Cyrus), decides that his pop star daughter needs a reality check. So he hijacks her private jet and takes her back home to Crowley Corners, Tennessee, for some Hannah Detox. After two weeks, they’ll see if Hannah will be allowed to come out of retirement.
Devastated and disgusted, Miley begins Operation Save Hannah Montana—but her mission gets tangled up in a budding romance with country boy Travis (Lucas Till) and the town’s fight to save nearby Crowley Meadows from becoming a mall.
Fans of Miley’s Disney Channel show will find more of the same from Hannah Montana: The Movie—only longer and with a bit of big-screen polish. It has the same kind of storyline, the same slapstick wackiness, and the same syrupy sweetness. But the country setting also gives it a hearty dose of down-home folksiness—complete with family members who seem to love nothing more than getting together for a singalong (and maybe a hoedown).
Hannah Montana is the usually Disney Channel fare: cutesy and silly but perfectly harmless. Young Disney fans will enjoy the trademark corny sense of humor, the Hannah Montana soundtrack, and the warm, fuzzy ending. And pre-teen girls, especially, will love the pop star style and the fluffy teen romance (with a dreamy cowboy).
In addition to the usual cover-ups and some painful Mrs. Doubtfire-style mix-ups, there’s a whole lot of other stuff going on in the story—including a couple of budding romances, the threat to the nearby meadows, and the constant presence of British tabloid journalist Oswald Granger (Peter Gunn), who’s trying to figure out Hannah’s big secret. But, fortunately, none of it gets especially complex or involved. Sure, it could have been smarter and more poignant. But, well, it could have been a whole lot worse, too.
Hannah Montana: The Movie may not be particularly clever or thought-provoking. It’s not exactly ground-breaking stuff. But Miley’s pre-teen fans will enjoy it nonetheless. Grown-ups, on the other hand, might want to steer clear—because all that syrupy sweetness could be hazardous to your health.
DVD Review:
The two-disc DVD release of Hannah Montana: The Movie comes with a digital copy of the film, along with a handful of extras—including Miley’s “The Climb” music video, a blooper reel, and an audio commentary with director Peter Chelsom. There are deleted scenes, too, including an additional subplot about Miley’s brother, Jackson (Jason Earles), pretending to be in college (which explains why he’s working in a petting zoo in the movie).
You can find even more features in the Backstage Disney section of the disc. Jason Earles wanders around the Hannah Montana set and discusses some movie-making details in I Should Have Gone to Film School. And, in my personal favorite feature, Find Your Way Back Home, Miley and Emily take viewers around their own hometowns. In Franklin, Tennessee, Miley scoops ice cream, shops for shades and dresses, and adopts a cat. And in Los Angeles, Emily walks the Hollywood Walk of Fame, eats hotdogs at Pink’s, and explores the La Brea Tar Pits.
Most of the film’s features are pretty standard stuff. For budding filmmakers, though, Film School offers a quick look at making a movie. And Miley’s fans will be amazed to find that their favorite star really is just a normal kid (who begs and whines and goofs around) when they tour her hometown in Home.
