Hannah Montana: The Movie

Based, of course, on the hit Disney series, Hannah Montana: The Movie follows Miley Cyrus’ Miley Stewart as she travels back to her hometown to get some perspective on her life and dual identity. It’s immediately apparent that Hannah Montana: The Movie marks a radical departure from its small-screen inspiration, as filmmaker Peter Chelsom has infused the proceedings with an unexpectedly cinematic feel that couldn’t be farther from the low-rent, low-budget look of the television show. By that same token, however, Chelsom, along with scripter Dan Berendsen, has essentially drained the film of any qualities designed to remind the viewer of the series – as Hannah Montana: The Movie, for the most part, boasts the feel of a generic coming-of-age teen drama (which, it goes without saying, is far from what the program’s showrunners were going for). It’s a vibe that’s perpetuated by Miley’s tentative romance with a hunky local (Lucas Till’s Travis Brody), while the inclusion of several silly subplots results in an absence of momentum that’s nothing short of disastrous. (It’s hard, for example, to work up much interest in Miley’s relationship with her tough-talking grandmother.) The movie is, finally, unlikely to appeal to either fans of Hannah Montana nor viewers looking for a solid coming-of-age romance, with the film’s failure cemented by the wrong-headed decision to relegate Hannah Montana regulars like Emily Osment and Jason Earles to the sidelines.

** out of ****