Hannah Montana: One In A Million

I bought this DVD for my neices, ages 5 and 8, and they absolutely LOVE it. I was expecting the dialogue, acting, and music to be annoying, but it's actually really cute!

This DVD has four "Hannah Montana" episodes, three music videos, and a bonus "That's So Raven" episode. The girls adore everything Hannah Montana, but Raven was a little forgettable.

I don't keep up with the Hollywood circuit much, but Miley Cyrus seems to be a breath of fresh air among the young starlets. I hope that all of this fame doesn't taint her!

Some may think that you have to be a girl between the ages of 8 and 12 to answer that question, but what can I say? I'm 22 years old, and I get it. I was reading a review in US Weekly Magazine about this exact DVD, and to me, they said it best: "What's the appeal? An unassuming cast, a nice message, and infectious tunes." There you go.

At the surface, Miley Cyrus, aka "Hannah Montana," might seem like another tween sensation whose time will come and go, just like everyone else, and that may be true. Others are possibly thinking that by the time the girl is 21, another Disney teen queen will get her turn and start taking the nation by storm (think about how Miley essentially replaced "Lizzie McGuire" sensation Hilary Duff a few years ago), and that may be true too. Right now, though, you can't deny that the hugely effervescent 15-year-old is as on top of her game as she could possibly be, and whether you love her or can't stand her, it's at least nice to see that in light of the "fallen angels" of Hollywood that young people have been looking up to in the past (need I even mention their names?) Miley is showing that maybe--just maybe--the Hollywood ideal is turning around a bit. With clothes that cover her entire body, sold-out concerts left and right (apparently, a ticket to her concert is worth thousands of dollars to some), and music lyrics like "Nobody's perfect/I gotta work it/again and again/til I get it right/, this is a girl who is lending all the right elements to a generation of kids who could definitely use some role model-worthy celebrities in their sight.

Of course, it's easy for adults to get into the craze, too. Again, I'm in my twenties, and while DVD's like this are a delight to the elementary-aged group, people like me may find themselves picking up a copy as a pure guilty pleasure. Despite having only four episodes (although I guess I can understand why Disney is being careful about releasing the full seasons), the special features (which include some music videos and a bonus "That's So Raven" episode) are always a nice touch, and the actual episodes included never fail to be entertaining. It might seem like silly slapstick most of the time, but as I mentioned earlier, the cast is genuine, the songs are true toe-tappers, and most of all, it has a message about being true to yourself, following your dreams (no matter what they are), finding love and support from the right people and places, and--in the end--knowing how to make the right decisions. You can't ask for much more than that.

So, in retrospect, will Miley Cyrus remain the same clean, wholesome, and generally sweet girl that she is right now? Only time will tell. Her apparent family dynamics and grounded life outside of Hollywood suggest that she's got a better chance than most (you didn't see Lindsay Lohan's mother keeping an eye on her when she was 15, at least not for the reasons you might think), but a lot will depend on what happens when she becomes a young adult and starts gaining control of the multi-million dollar empire she is procuring before the age of 18. Former teen stars like Hilary Duff have shown that you can make it through the business without falling into the deep end, and Miley could end up with a nice success story of her own, but I guess you never know. Still, it's clear that she is truly coming into her own right now, with a tremendous career that she actually deserves to have. Let's hope it all stays that way.

My daughter and I BOTH loved the episodes on this latest release. We are big Hannah fans, and this video did not disappoint us.