“HANNAH MONTANA: THE MOVIE” – Walt Disney Pictures: The MoneyMaker —
Rating: 8 of 10 stars (for how it succeeds at what it attempts to accomplish).

(Per an advance preview, seen with mainly females of the Pre-Teen persuasion— who seemed to get a big KICK out of the film:) It’s not easy to make an effective story-based movie when the main goal seems to be to provide its audience with a series of CONCERT-type performances; but, this film actually SUCCEEDS at that. The story concerns a father (BILLY RAY CYRUS) who feels his performer daughter MILEY (a/k/a HANNAH MONTANA) is getting somewhat “FULL” of herself, & he takes her back to the family home in Tennessee to try to help her become more “grounded”. Helping out are various characters such as her Grandma (MARGO MARTINDALE) & handsome farmhand (& eventual love interest) Travis (LUCAS TILL) who prefers “real” people & who has the motto “Life is a CLIMB” (which Miley eventually turns into a song). You have various characters from the TV show including her BFF Lilly (EMILY OSMENT), & her brother Jackson (JASON EARLES) & Oliver (MITCHELL MUSSO) for comedic purposes. It doesn’t break any new ground (with the way Miley puts on a show to raise money needed to improve the town). But, it’s got a GOOD “believable” cast & story, a bunch of enjoyable & well-done song numbers (especially “Hoedown”), & it “WORKS”!