Hannah Montana: The Movie

Far from getting the bathtub ready-filled with quicklime in which to dump the bruised, gaudy corpse of what looks like another live-action Disney dud akin to the Aryan blowhard mob of High School Musical, you might be rather surprised at just how likeable the bubblegum teen romance of Hannah Montana: The Movie actually is. And this is due in no small part to the superior comic acting chops of amiable bow-legged songbird, Miley Cyrus. The story, for those interested, sees Miley Stewart (Cyrus) lapping up life in the guise of her LA pop sensation alter ego Hannah Montana. That is, until she’s forced to rediscover her Tennessee roots and come to terms with the meaning of family, friendship, yada, yada, yada. It’s a hackneyed, easy-to-dismiss tale directed with enough panache to drag it across the finish line, but Cyrus’ performance supplies the material with a much-needed sharpness. She should go on to better things.

Alan Mack