Hannah Montana: The Movie

Miley Cyrus dances on stage like she tends to do in Hannah Montana: The Movie.

As Printed in The Lumberjack on April 16, 2009

by Gary Sundt

When my superiors at The Lumberjack asked what I would be reviewing for this issue, they were outraged when I told them it would be Hannah Montana: The Movie. The reasons for this decision are many, ranging from my now-confirmed prediction that the film would be No. 1 in the box office, to the film’s star Miley Cyrus being worth an estimated $1 billion within the next year, to an attractive lady-friend’s desire to see the movie. But the bottom line is Disney’s latest cultural phenomenon is something a lot of people care about, and that warrants a review.

The movie continues the saga of Miley Stewart (Cyrus), who lives a dual life as both herself and Hannah to ensure she can still be a teenage girl despite her fame. But the balancing act is getting difficult to maintain, and her loving father Robby Ray (Miley’s real-life father Billy Ray Cyrus) can tell. But it isn’t until Hannah’s latest antics, which include a shoe-store cat fight with Tyra Banks and crashing the sweet 16 of her best pal Lilly (Emily Osment), that Dad puts his foot down. Miley has to leave Hannah behind as she travels with the family back to her hometown of Crowley Corners, Tenn., so she can discover what really matters in life.

Now, I may be asking for too much from my TV-to-the-big-screen Disney cinema, but it seems to me a celebrity living a double-life as complicated as Hannah/Miley’s would have a lot of real-world concerns to reconcile. Where does Hannah end and Miley begin? Do her close friends love Miley for her, or do they really love Hannah? What are the financial and emotional ramifications of choosing between her real identity and her pop alter ego?

Hannah Montana: The Movie doesn’t go there. In fact, within minutes of coming home, Miley finds herself a cute cowboy to flirt with and base her life decisions on. There are multiple plot strings going throughout the flick, and every one is as surface as the next. Perhaps the fans will be satisfied. However, there are simple ways to tell stories, and then there is belittling your audience, and Hannah Montana unfortunately, if not unintentionally, opts to insult.

That said, Hannah Montana: The Movie is sugar-coated sweetness wrapped in a country-western/pop bow, and that’s exactly what the film’s intended audience is clamoring for. And despite the blatant banality of the storytelling, there manages to be some rather touching moments, particularly between Miley and her dad. This doesn’t mean the movie is good, per se, but it does manage some Disney-brand charm, even if that charm would’ve been better suited for a made-for-TV movie.

I mentioned at the start a lot of people love Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus. I am not one of those people. Disney’s hit show capitalizes on young females and tweens, and I obviously do not fit this demographic. Accordingly, I will admit I am not the intended audience for Hannah Montana: The Movie. However, I have a job to do. Despite the ranting and jeers of my superiors and peers, I sat through the film. I gave it a fair shot. And I suppose it was okay for what it was.