Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus - Review

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Length: 74 min

Rated: G

Distributor: Walt Disney Pictures

Release Date: 2008-02-01

Starring: Miley Cyrus, Joe Jonas, Kevin Jonas, Nick Jonas

Directed by Bruce Hendricks

Produced by Bruce Hendricks, Kenny Ortega, Arthur F. Repola

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Reviewed by Mariana McConnell : 2008-02-04 18:31:46

After the splendor that was U2 3D, it is hard to imagine that a fluffy puff Disney star with a sing-song name and a hit TV show could conjure up a comparable IMAX 3-D experience, but she does. Sort of. Unlike U2 3D, wherein a seasoned rock band kicked out the jam in a most spiritual way, Best of Both Worlds manages to fall somewhere between irresistible moneymaking opportunity and a sweetly sincere kiddie rock show. The film has a lot going for it in terms of pop appeal, but all its best moments are due to charismatic Miley Cyrus, for whom the term “cute as a button” was invented.

Best of Both Worlds is essentially a consolation prize for those who couldn’t shell out seven grand to see Cyrus’ top-grossing live show last year. For 85 minutes, Miley and her television alter ego, fictional pop sensation Hannah Montana, perform to an arena filled with screaming tweenage girls and their parents. In her Montana persona, Cyrus wears a blonde wig and bops around in sparkly leggings singing with impassioned zeal to the roar of the crowd. When the brown haired Cyrus emerges, she’s also attired in sparkly pink clothes, but she strums a guitar and sings a song to her “pappy” (grandfather, for us non- Tennesseans). In both roles, Cyrus demonstrates a fine singing voice and she appears to be actually singing, which impresses me more than it probably should.

Cut in with the arena performances is footage of Cyrus rehearsing for the tour with choreographer Kenny Ortega (High School Musical), sitting on the tour bus with her mom, making rapid-fire costume changes, and crouching in the lift that will bring her up into the arena. These informal scenes are favorable to Cyrus, who comes off as professional and game for anything. Father Billy Ray of “Achy Breaky Heart” fame makes an appearance in the clips, though a duet the pair is set up to perform together thankfully never materializes during the concert. The film is generally well paced and exciting, only dropping the ball when sub-standard opening act the Jonas Brothers, who are in essence a more ethnic Hanson, appear to sing a drippy ballad. Blech, 3-D technology is used aggressively here, with guitar picks flying at the audience and fingers waggling in our faces. It could all be tiring but Cyrus is such an engaging performer that all cheesiness is forgiven when she breaks out in her toothsome smile.

The songbook is rather thin and all the tunes start to blend together after a while, even though Cyrus’ band is incredibly tight. The songs are respectable manufactured pop, with musical passages lifted shamelessly old tunes like “Kids in America”, something that definitely won’t bug Cyrus’ fan base as they wouldn’t know Kim Wilde from Kim Possible. With titles like “I Got Nerve”, "Nobody's Perfect, "We Got The Party", the message here is very clear. Cyrus/Montana brings the wholesome party, celebrating individuality with messages of hope and self-esteem. The entire proposition at the heart of Hannah Montana is the notion that a girl can have it all. She can be successful beyond her wildest dreams and live the life a normal gal, experiencing the regular problems that come therewith. Basically any girl, anywhere, could be a Hannah Montana, a proposition that Cyrus pulls it off with her sheer guilelessness. As a wish fulfillment fantasy, that’s nice right? Well, yes. But there is still a problem with Best of Both Worlds that is often present in music films with female players.

The “girl power” message communicated by Cyrus is one we’ve heard before, several times over. Because it is such a catchy slogan, it can easily be distilled into consumer shill. Don’t forget: Hannah Montana is a blockbuster franchise, as is evidenced by the hordes of awkward teen girls with braces and stringy hair sporting brand new concert t-shirts and blonde wigs. What is really being taught here? The feminist warm fuzzies also wear off when it appears Cyrus’ band is composed entirely of men, with the exception of the back up singers. This is an all too common cliché that communicates the tired supposition that girls can either sing for a band or watch a band; they can never be in the band. If you think that these cultural limitations are lost on a 12 year, you severely underestimate the sponge-like brain of the pre-teen girl.

It goes without saying that Miley Cyrus is 15 years old and cannot be expected to control the means of production that have her propelled her to stardom. It certainly is good to see girls singing along with Cyrus to take-charge lyrics like “It’s girl’s night, it’s alright!” However, by the end of Best of Both Worlds I found myself hoping that Cyrus would go a bit farther than shades of feminism wrapped in cozy conventions, but it is Disney, after all. Maybe someday, after Miley has bought her first Ramones record, she’ll give kid pop the kiss off and start her own all girl rock ‘n’ roll band. She’ll then go screeching across the country, spreading the gospel of girl wherever she plays. Now that’ll be a show worth seven grand

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ashley_cyrus
July 11, 2008 at 14:37

u r da best miley!!!
ur 1 in a million!
ur awesome
fantastic
fabulous
perfect
excellent
gud
stunning
marvelous
dese comments r not enough for u hannah....
u r da best
nd i'm da biggest biggest biggest fan of urs.....
i wanna meet u
u r rocking.....

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POL
June 1, 2008 at 18:30

you it's fevourite singer it's superstar!!!
l'am from spain"catalonia!"

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hailey
May 8, 2008 at 18:20

dose this web have any pics of hannah montana or miley cyrus

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DarkZero
April 28, 2008 at 13:20

Hannah Montana is just another fad, and will blow away like most fads do. I suppose it's for the better, because the music is subjecting kids to poor taste and encourages it.

Also, she sucks.

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Emma
April 1, 2008 at 04:07

you are so kool

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kirsty
March 31, 2008 at 15:41

hey yall i luv ure music miley and i always watch hannah montana after skool im a big fan i would never say horrid things about u i love u as a friend lol xoxoxoo

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chelo uy
March 29, 2008 at 01:20

HANNAH MONTANA is so beautiful.her voice is so nice.she is hot.i like to watch her show cause it is so nice.

watch her show now.

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mina
March 24, 2008 at 16:08

hannah montana is mii FAVORITE pop star
shes mii idol and i LOVE her brown hair lol!!!
HANNAH MONTANA U ROCK MII WORLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(the people that said nas and rude stuff shuld STOP they have NO RIGHT!!!)
xXx

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Lee
March 9, 2008 at 14:00

Dylan you are sooooooo mean she is awsome iam a big fan of hannah maybe you the one that suck how could you call hannah a fag? I would die to go see her. Hannah you rock you are so cool.

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tayler
March 9, 2008 at 01:16

i am not a crazy fan but i think u r really cool and do not get put down by these people who say rude stuff that they should keep to their selves. so yeah okay. and don't give up keep going. remember god loves u he will always.

p.s. i think u r really sweet and kind u rock

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Aleena
March 8, 2008 at 16:04

hey hannah ya some people send you really mean things but not me i love your singing and acting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and dylan and suise are bieng really big asses. luv ya!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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lisa
March 5, 2008 at 23:07

you are awsome don't make bad choices plaese do not get goth at all.

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KANSAS
March 4, 2008 at 19:28

HEY I AM UR bigest fan alive!!!!!I LOVE U

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Paige
March 2, 2008 at 18:53

I ♥ MILEY CYRUS I DIDNT GET TO GO TO THE CONCERT THOUGH I HOPE SHE HAS ANOTHER ONE I IN OMAHA PLUS I CANT WAIT FOR THE HANNAH MONTANA MOVIE THIS SUMMER

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tiye
February 28, 2008 at 14:49

hannah montana you rock you are the coolest person in the whole wide world! all those people saying bad stuff about you are some real losers. p.s. i saw you talking to a tv spksperson and i think its so coolthat you get your own part of the house. your mom may be strict but your dad is awsome. and i also saw you an oprah and the tonight show with larry king. you have tons of great opratunites to do great thing and you dont chicken out you jump for it and thats why i admire you so much!

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none of your beeswax!!!
February 27, 2008 at 23:20

your just another britney spears!!!goosshh,your freaken ugly sheeeeeeeshhh!!!!!

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ilwad
February 24, 2008 at 16:35

hi hannah

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eduardo
February 22, 2008 at 17:15

Let me start by saying that I have been a Disney customer in many ways for over 35 years now.
Today I got the shock of my life when I took my 6 Granddaughters to the early matinee to see Hanna Montana.
Usually it is $5.50 per person, but to my disbelief the teller told me that it would be $18 per ticket to see Hanna Montana, thats a total of $126.00 just for the tickets.
This was for a partial ( not full ) movie of her concert, So I was thinking that Disney has gone of the deep end and gotten completely and unreal in their greed for the dollar.
Even my 6 Granddaughters who are big Hanna fans voiced their opinoin that this price was unfair, and the teller apologizred for this but said it was out of their hands . Disneys decision.
I have dealt with Disneys price increases and inflated prices for years and always just paid them but this time they have gone to far.
It is just a partial concert movie. Disney is insanr if they think they can continue this and keep long term customers.
Needless to say we passed on the movie and have decided not to buy any products associated with Hanna Montana.
Also after 6 trips to Disneyworld we have decided to change our Disney trip this year and go to Universal instead.
Normally we would spend $3,000+ at Disney for this trip, but Disney can kiss those dollars goodbye,
Good marketing move, greed will cost you more in the long run.
From an American Family and no longer Hanna Montana fans.

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mary
February 18, 2008 at 16:15

hey this movie is so cool i was the loudest one in the movie theater and it was so awsome!!!!
p.s try dreaming that you will ever see it jk

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Hannah Song says
February 18, 2008 at 13:06

My name is hannah too.You sing well and you ROCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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mike
February 17, 2008 at 21:41

Let me start by saying that I have been a Disney customer in many ways for over 35 years now.
Today I got the shock of my life when I took my 6 Granddaughters to the early matinee to see Hanna Montana.
Usually it is $5.50 per person, but to my disbelief the teller told me that it would be $18 per ticket to see Hanna Montana, thats a total of $126.00 just for the tickets.
This was for a partial ( not full ) movie of her concert, So I was thinking that Disney has gone of the deep end and gotten completely and unreal in their greed for the dollar.
Even my 6 Granddaughters who are big Hanna fans voiced their opinoin that this price was unfair, and the teller apologizred for this but said it was out of their hands . Disneys decision.
I have dealt with Disneys price increases and inflated prices for years and always just paid them but this time they have gone to far.
It is just a partial concert movie. Disney is insanr if they think they can continue this and keep long term customers.
Needless to say we passed on the movie and have decided not to buy any products associated with Hanna Montana.
Also after 6 trips to Disneyworld we have decided to change our Disney trip this year and go to Universal instead.
Normally we would spend $3,000+ at Disney for this trip, but Disney can kiss those dollars goodbye,
Good marketing move, greed will cost you more in the long run.
From an American Family and no longer Hanna Montana fans.

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layla
February 17, 2008 at 21:41

well susie and dylan are just another pair of stupid idiots . i on the other side think their jelous!so screw them!

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None or your buisness
February 15, 2008 at 01:48

YOU "suck"

Whore...

pCe homie

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sandy_prettyMw@H
February 11, 2008 at 23:57

wow.!miley ur soo pretty..!teell nick jonas that i love him he is so handsome.!OMG.!i love u hannah montana u rock.!

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tania
February 9, 2008 at 15:21

you rock!!!!!!!!!!!!

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