Writer: Lai Swee Wei

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Watch this if you liked: “The Lizzie McGuire Movie”

With every popular Disney Channel TV hit series, there's bound to be a follow up feature film of its own. It's only natural. And with that, the cast of "Hannah Montana" reunit in a big bang of a show that lasts more than the half an hour episode - much to the joy of fans, definitely. Audiences will get to watch the young, spunky, charismatic performer Miley Cyrus as she flaunts it all and discovers life's valuable lessons the hard way, being brought back to her hometown in Tennessee against her will.

Awkwardly enough, the film begins with Miley and her best friend Lilly trying to gain entry into the Hannah Montana concert stadium considering the fact that Lilly already knows her double life secret (if you didn't know, Miley IS Hannah Montana). Soon she encounters inevitable complications when she is stalked by a British reporter called Oswald (Peter Gunn), who tries to get the latest gossip scoop on Hannah Montana. He comes so dangerously close, risking Miley's identity being revealed to the whole world!

The film sees the return of Billy Ray Cyrus, Emily Osment, Mitchel Musso, and Jason Earles. Also there were some fun cameo appearances from Tyra Banks and country singers like Taylor Swift and Rascal Flatts. Vanessa Williams dons the role of Hannah Montana's publicist with her persona very much similar to her character Wilhelmina Slater in "Ugly Betty."

It also creates a fun dance scene as Miley Cyrus does a country mix with hip hop step-by-step dance during a fund raising event for Tennessee. It's called a 'Hoedown Throwdown' dance. The dance choreography is very well matched with the song giving a truly entertaining scene not to be missed! The soundtracks are pleasant to the ears whilst carrying meaningful messages. Audiences might get choked up over the touching scene of the strong bond between father and daughter. But that's what "Hannah Montana" TV series is also known for, as Billy Ray Cyrus is Miley's father in real life.

Posed as a really fun film for the whole family, it certainly proves just that as audiences will be amused to see how a small town girl tries hard to juggle her normal life with her pop-star persona. Regardless of that, I'm still puzzled as to how a wig and a change of clothes can turn you into a whole new different person.

Cinema Online, 25 May 2009