DVD Reviews

The Last Song – Blu-ray Review

By June L. Aug 19, 2010, 13:26 GMT

Miley Cyrus shines as the star of this heartwarming coming-of-age movie that will strike your emotional chords. Based on the novel by Nicholas Sparks (Dear John, The Notebook), The Last Song follows Ronnie (Cyrus) and her estranged father as he tries to restore the loving relationship they once had. But reconnecting with his rebellious daughter isn’t easy, so he chooses the one thing they still have in common — music. ...more

Break out the tissues and the popcorn, as Miley Cyrus takes on the female lead in Nicholas Sparks’s The Last Song.

A beach picture of sorts it is sure to become an annual favorite for fans of the genre as well as fans of both Ms Cyrus and Mr. Sparks.

The DVD and Blu-ray combo should please those who might want to view the film multiple times, perhaps while at the beach themselves.

Young singer Miley Cyrus plays Ronnie Miller, a girl almost in adulthood, but having hit some bumps on her journey. Mom (Kelly Preston) and Dad (Greg Kinnear) are divorced, and both Ronnie and her little brother Jonah (Bobby Coleman) have some issues from this.

A promising musician since childhood, Ronnie’s dreams for the future, as well as her Dad’s hopes of her training at Julliard have all dissolved.
The visit to Dad, beach house or no, isn’t something that Ronnie is excited about, and Ms. Cyrus plays the surly teen very well. Inevitably she meets Will (Liam Hemsworth) volleyball jock and good humored guy who trades smart remarks with Ronnie and they fall in love.

So much happens in this film, too much some might say, that it quickly changes from an almost believable story to overblown melodrama. Lots of bad things occur, so much so you might find yourself thinking fondly of the old style beach movies and wishing for Erik Von Zipper or the 21st century equivalent of his character to show up and relieve the children from unrelenting angst.

Amazingly enough, in spite of the tsunami of misfortune that hits them, no one seems to be permanently scarred or emotionally damaged. I suppose it could be an argument for resiliency of character.

Disc one is the Blu-ray version of the film in high definition picture and sound. Running time is 107 minutes.

The special features include an alternate opening sequence, deleted scenes, a behind the scenes tour with actor Bobby Coleman, Miley Cyrus music video “When I Look at You” and a Making of the Miley Cyrus music video “When I Look at You” featurette, and an audio commentary for the film.

The DVD disc has the film in widescreen format, the behind the scenes tour, the music video and the making of featurette as well as the film’s audio commentary.

Beautiful scenery and a likeable cast are the plus points for the film. The Last Song Blu-ray and DVD combo will be welcomed by the movie’s fans. With two choices of viewing on two discs and many specials, there is a lot to see and explore.