Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds 3-D Concert
By Laura YoungMPAA Rating: G
Genre: Documentary/Music
Theatrical Release Date: February 1, 2008
DVD Release Date: August 19, 2008
Running Time: 1 hour and 30 minutes
Plot Synopsis: This documentary serves as a video time capsule of the phenomenally successful 2007-2008 "Best of Both Worlds" concert tour starring Disney sensation, Miley Cyrus, as everyone's favorite secret teen pop star, Hannah Montana. Up-and-coming boy band heartthrobs the Jonas Brothers also perform.
Sex/Nudity: Some mildly suggestive hip-shaking, shimmying, and eyelash batting from Miley Cyrus and the backup dancers. One Jonas Brothers song is dedicated "to all the ladies." Some Miley Cyrus song lyrics address relationships with boys and the Jonas Brothers sing a saccharine love song or two.
Violence/Gore: None
Profanity: None in the feature film. During "The Ultimate Personal Tour" bonus feature, Miley Cyrus says, "shut up," in jest to one of her friends.
Which Kids Will Like It?
Kids age 7 and older who are fans of Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus will cherish this double-disc DVD that puts their favorite pop star directly into their homes. Children who aren't necessarily fans of Hannah Montana or Miley Cyrus will get some enjoyment out of the special 3-D effects, which are truly cool to experience. Kids will be blown away by the quality of the 3-D view like when Hannah points the microphone out at the camera, it jumps out so that the viewer feels like it's only inches from his/her face. (NOTE: Children should not wear their 3-D glasses for an extended amount of time.)
Will Parents Like It?
Parents will appreciate the behind-the-scenes footage, which includes scenes of Miley's supportive parents, and a humorous bit of dads trying to win tickets to the show at a local radio show event. But even if you're an adult who's unusually tolerant of the music of Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus and the Jonas Brothers, the non-stop perkiness of the 1 hour and 30 minute feature can feel significantly longer if you watch the entire thing in one sitting.
Special Features: Kids can take "The Ultimate Personal Tour" which delves viewers into the daily routine of both Miley Cyrus and the Jonas Brother while they are on the road. A "Sing Along Mode" lets fans sing along with a select number of Hannah Montana tunes, karaoke-style. Some additional songs previously not seen in theaters are also included.
Kaboose Review: The sold-out 2007-2008 concert tour for "Best of Both Worlds" caused hysteria not only among Hannah Montana's tween fan base, but for the parents who were tasked with securing tickets to the event. With shows selling out within minutes of going on sale, many devotees were crushed at being denied the opportunity of seeing their idol perform live onstage.
But as you would expect, Disney careful crafted a plan to systematically bring the Hannah Montana concert experience to all: First a 3-D concert movie of the hit tour was released as Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds 3-D Concert for a limited one-week theatrical engagement in February 2008, but due to the phenomenal box office success, the run was extended indefinitely.
Then just a few months later at the end of July, the film had its television premiere on the Disney Channel, and now in August comes the release of a special 2-disc DVD (featuring both a 2-D and 3-D format of the film), this time packaged with special behind-the-scenes footage, deleted scenes, and sing-along videos--of course being sold for only a "limited" time.
The appeal of Hannah Montana is obvious: What little girl (or boy) wouldn't love to be an average school-kid during the day, but at night have an exciting secret life as a world-wide pop sensation? The franchise is bolstered by the fact that Miley Cyrus, the young star who plays the title role of Hannah Montana, really is living the dream--selling out stadiums, being mobbed by fans and paparazzi--making the character all the more real and relatable to the adoring fan base.
At the start of the concert, when Cyrus takes the stage outfitted in full sparkly Hannah Montana regalia, the pandemonium is palpable--girls furiously wave both hands in the air and shriek at the sight of Hannah's long blonde hair. Those at the front of the stage outstretch their arms in hopes of grasping a boot strap, a pant leg, or if fortune is kind, a handshake from Cyrus as she swings her hands out into the crowd.
For the first half of the film, the unflappable Cyrus struts up and down the stage with the confident gait of a seasoned performer. She seamlessly segues into tracks with impressive inter-song banter skills, and when she flashes her toothy smile it's almost too much for the fans to take. The crowd cheers and chants back with such high-pitched glee that in a behind-the-scene style interview, one manly crew member likens the sound to a deafening jet engine revving up for takeoff.
In an effort to inspire and empower girls, most of the Hannah Montana repertoire is made up of aspiration songs like the up-tempo opening number, "Rock Star," or relatable tunes like "Everybody Makes Mistakes," and "Just Like You. And for the most part, they serve their purpose--driving home the importance of being yourself, and doing things to the best of your ability.
While Hannah's songs and routines are certifiably pop, when Miley gets to showcase her own music in the second act, it skews slightly more edgy, but never strays so far as to be called experimental. Miley and her songwriting teams are unafraid to dip into the stylistic leanings of other famous pop starlets, for example: one introspective number called "I Miss You," that pays tribute to Cyrus's grandfather is reminiscent of Avril Lavigne's sound, and the salsa-inspired dance track "Let's Dance," attempts to be equal parts "Isla Bonita" by Madonna and "Hollaback Girl" by Gwen Stefani.
But who could hold Cyrus at fault for performing crowd-pleasing, feel-good mainstream music. She is a Disney star, after all. But let me give credit where credit is due--the material greatly benefits from Cyrus's considerable charm and likability that is shown throughout her entire performance. Although it's hard for adults to imagine a teenage star as seemingly well-adjusted and happy as Miley Cyrus, she truly does seem to be having the time of her life, while still retaining good values and morals. Kids will take a shine to the upbeat pace and exuberant performance by Cyrus, parents will love the positive (and mainly wholesome) song lyrics, and will find themselves not only tolerating the music, but perhaps even enjoying some of it.
Also appearing in the film are rising Disney stars, the Jonas Brothers--who briefly provide some boy power to the movie. The real-life brothers (who have their own 3-D concert movie currently in the works) join Hannah onstage for their hit collaboration, the raucous "We Got the Party," and then continue with a performance of their smooth love ballad titled, "When You Look Me In the Eyes" and "Year 3000," an infectious power-pop ditty. Parents beware: The Jonas Brothers' set may cause your daughters to shyly swoon and your sons to dramatically roll their eyes, but all in all it's entertaining family fare.
Directed by: Bruce Hendricks
Cast: Miley Cyrus (Herself/Hannah Montana), Joe Jonas (Himself), Kevin Jonas (Himself), Nick Jonas (Himself), Billy Ray Cyrus (Himself), Kenny Ortega (Himself)
Laura Young is the Crafts/Holidays & Fun editor on Kaboose.com
