Hannah Montana: The Movie

Hannah Montana... Ho hum, TV spin off, bound to be flabby and chees- Woh! Hannah Montana grows up! Luckily at about the speed of her fan base. But wait. I’m enjoying this... she can sing... (sits up and takes notice... foot taps...) ...

In case you don’t know, Miley Stewart (Miley Cyrus) is a sub-16 girl who battles to mix a normal life with that of a star music performer which, by some good fortune (probably her Dad who, in real life, is country and western musician Billy Ray Cyrus), has come her way. Under the watchful eye of said excellent Dad (strong but yielding and putting daughter first), she has managed to keeps the wraps on her secret through several multi-episode series (surely a record?). However, as 16 approaches, she is caught between the twin fires of an ever growing bunch of people who are in on “the secret” and the fact that she is going from girl to woman... as you do.

Anyway, Miley Cyrus’ real shelf life being limited, Disney have popped her into this medium value film to ease the transition to adult stardom, and for once have done an excellent job. Hannah has to make a choice between the good life and... well, the good life. Should she carry on trashing the clothes shops, fighting over shoes in L.A. (in this case with Tyra Banks herself)? Or should she rediscover her old life back in Tennessee? Grandma’s birthday is the reason to pay a visit downhome instead of downtown, so off she goes, courtesy of a private jet and some clever help from her Dad.

Meantime, there is someone “in the media” who suspects she has a secret – a mystery woman who is a kind of cross between Cruella de Ville, Max Clifford and maybe the editor of certain lady mag. Her man (English accent, bit of a duffer) is hunting Hannah/Miley. What follows is a really rather sweet and clever exposition of the facts of life of growing up famous, with songs and costume changes, morally sound teen romance and friendship in spades (except for some reference to tossing salad).

What I liked most was how this film is an antidote to the Pop Idol generation’s warped notion of fame. It’s good to see the idea of stardom coming easily being knocked on the head. The fact is you just wouldn’t want the clutter this girl has in her head and the stress of trying to live two separate lives. Would you?

Cinematographically speaking, it’s not particularly spectacular, though there were a couple of long shots which were breathtaking and the scenery is superb. It’s simple teenpoptastic stuff, music fans. I had the benefit of seeing it at a preview show with a crowd of mostly 8-14 year olds in Cineworld Edinburgh’s grand Number One theatre. A lovely crowd of kids all having a good time and enjoying the fact they’d seen the film before their friends! Meantime, Disney is booking the recording studios, alerting the pressing plants and building the next stage of Hannah Montana’s (aka Miley Cyrus') career as I write, I’m sure.

Jess’ca's view:

It was fantastic! Miley and Hannah are the same person, you see? Miley misses her best friend Lilly’s party because she is shopping as Hannah Montana! Then she spoils Lily’s party by arriving as Hannah Montana because everyone rushes to Hannah and asks to her sing.

Then her Dad kidnaps her and makes her go to her Granny’s party in Tennessee on a jet! When she gets there, she doesn’t even recognise her own horse. Then Miley meets a really nice boy who she knew before she left Tennessee and they almost get together, but not quite. But the town is going to have a new shopping centre built and the people ask Miley to ask Hannah to organise a concert so they can raise money to stop the building.

Meantime, Hannah is also being chased by the newspapers who don’t know where she is exactly. So she has to be both Hannah and Miley at almost the same time and makes everyone fed up because she keeps rushing in and out and changing her clothes.

I loved it because the music is just fun and Hannah is brilliant. I want to go see it again.