Hannah Montana grows up!

Rating: 9/10 (4 May 2010)

After following the production of this movie for well over a year, (before it even had a title!) I finally got the chance to see it this afternoon and I wasn't disappointed with the final outcome one bit.
I've read so many negative reviews which focus mainly on Miley Cyrus' acting but I think any fan knows, and probably Miley herself, that she was never going to get many fair reviews from movie critics. In this film Miley completely sheds her Hannah Montana/popstar image and plays the role of a moody, troubled teenager exceptionally well. I also found the acting of all the main cast to be of a high standard although I did feel that some of the dialogue seemed clunky and poorly written so certain scenes felt slightly false and awkward.
The death of Ronnie's father was dealt with particularly well, we were made to really connect with both Ronnie and her father over the course of the movie so when we found out he was dying of lung cancer it really came as a blow to the audience watching and by the end of the film there wasn't a dry eye in the house. The only part of the movie I didn't like was the character Blaze. She just came across as annoying, unpleasant and completely unnecessary to the plot. When Miley's character gave her the wad of cash I felt like slapping the girl! I really think that if her character had been cut from the film there wouldn't have been anything important missing.
The Last Song isn't perfect, the direction seems a little jarring at times and the random cuts can sometimes bring you straight out of the story but it is highly enjoyable. The relationships developed between Ronnie, her father and her brother Jonah mean that pretty much anyone can relate the story to the relationships in their own families. It's both funny and a real tear jerker and it might just surprise anyone who doesn't consider Miley Cyrus a particularly good actress.
And talking of Miley, for fans the last few scenes when 'When I Look At You' kick in are simply awesome! Me and my friends ended up staying during the credits just to hear the full song. Excellent.