Writer: Lai Swee Wei

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Effects: NA
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Watch this if you liked: “Hannah Montana The Movie”

Miley Cyrus finally sheds her Hannah Montana persona and takes on a role without putting on that blonde wig or break out into song (although she does for a while here singing a few phrases of Maroon 5's "She Will Be Loved") and dance.

Delivering what tweens of the world want and nothing more, it exudes a cross between "Twilight" and "Dear John", where both of the main leads (played by Kristen Stewart and Channing Tatum) rebel against their fathers and have budding romantic relationships in between. Based on Nicholas Sparks' 2002 novel of the same name, New York City kid, Ronnie Miller (Miley Cyrus) is forced to spend a summer with her divorced dad (Greg Kinnear) in seaside Georgia, while her mum is soon to be hitched. Eventually, she makes fast friends with emo girl Blaze (Carly Chaikin) and falls in love with car technician/aquarium volunteer/volleyball-playing hunk (Liam Hemsworth). How's that for a dream guy? Beats pale vampire Edward Cullen who can't even seem to hold one job (not that he needs to anyway).

Be prepared to see passionate smooching between Cyrus and Hemsworth, shirtless hunks, adorable animals, a dress-shopping trip and a good heart-wrenching sob all mixed into one. The chemistry between Cyrus and real-life Australian boyfriend Hemsworth is spot on and while Kinnear manages to create heart-felt sympathy as the estranged father.

As with all of Cyrus' on-screen works so far, it always involves her doing something musically. This time, her character returns to piano playing after years of thinking there was no point. Although Cyrus can play the piano in real life, it almost looks very suspicious that she doesn't in this movie as the cinematography was shot in a way that it either closes up on her face or on her hands, and hardly zooms out to view both.

Whilst trying to create a closer bond with her father and boyfriend, Cyrus' character also gets involved in protecting a batch of turtle eggs from a hungry racoon and helps to restore the town's Baptist church. Inevitably, the story shifts focus onto Ronnie's father as the film approaches to an emotional ending that'll bring tears to your eyes with its family values.

Cyrus fans will be able to listen to her only song in the movie as the film takes a bow with "When I Look At You" playing over the end credits.

Cinema Online, 24 May 2010