It’s for fans only, but 3-D ‘Hannah Montana’ works

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, February 13, 2008

When you’ve marketed a phenomenon that has already reaped millions from television, CDs and sold-out concerts, how do you manage to squeeze a few more dollars out of the franchise?

Film said concert and present it in digital 3-D, of course. That is the case with “Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour,” Disney’s latest attempt to cash in on its “Hannah Montana” franchise and the popularity of the series star Miley Cyrus, daughter of one-hit wonder extraordinare Billy Ray Cyrus.

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I’ll admit I went into this concert film rather oblivious to the 15-year-old singer/actress and why she was so successful. I’d seen just a few minutes of the TV series, which I found to be quite annoying. I was probably more familiar with her music since her single “See You Again” (a rather breezy, but disposable pop number) is in heavy rotation on top 40 stations.

“Both Worlds” doesn’t really dig too deeply into why Cyrus has bloomed into a breakout star, but it proves to be the perfect vehicle for her fans.

The film mixes performances with a few backstage moments. The best of those include Cyrus’ interactions with her family (but sadly no “Achy Breaky Heart” duet with dad) and a brief look at how much work went into preparing for the 54-city tour.

Cyrus belts out tunes with titles like “I’m a Rock Star,” “Nobody’s Perfect” and “Girls Night Out” (titles that probably mean nothing to anyone over the age of 14, but have definitely struck a chord with Cyrus’ rabid core of fans) and is even joined by fellow Disney act the Jonas Brothers for “We Got the Party.”

The 3-D element really doesn’t bring much to the table, short of giving its audience a more intimate experience. I’m quite certain this could have been shot with standard lenses, but then again Disney couldn’t justify charging 15 bucks a ticket then.

Watching the film I must admit I gained a bit of respect for Cyrus. The young singer is a ball of energy racing around a stage the size of a third world country. With all the elaborate dance numbers and costume changes, you really sense that Cyrus enjoys what she is doing and that joy proves to be contagious.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like I’m going to rush out and buy a Hannah Montana CD, but I have a little more understanding of why she is so popular.

I didn’t really like or dislike “Best of Both Worlds,” but I’m obviously not the audience to which this film is being marketed. I’m smart enough to realize that for that target audience this film is a no-doubt must-see event. And since it succeeds on that level, ultimately “Best of Both Worlds” succeeds as a film that accomplishes exactly what it set out to do.