Best of Both Worlds – DVD Review

Film, Reviews

Available at Amazon.com

Ken Griffey Senior was a vital cog of the famed Cincinnati Reds “Big Red Machine” of the 1970s. Rocky Johnson was one of the more famous black wrestlers of the 1970s. Billy Ray Cyrus had a hit song that played on the top of every chart in 1992. What do they all have in common? They’ve all been eclipsed in their own professions by their children. Ken Griffey Jr. is perhaps the best baseball player of his generation. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson was one of the WWF’s greatest champions before becoming one of Hollywood’s hot young acting talents. And Miley Cyrus has sold more records then her father, who tours casinos while his daughter sells out arenas. Miley has now done what her father also could never do: have a successful concert movie.

Best of Both Worlds had a limited run in theatres earlier in 2008, charging nearly $20 per ticket but still going on to gross a respectable $70 million worldwide box office gross. And its easy to see why Miley, who also performs as her Disney Channel character Hannah Montana, put more money into the offers than Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Semi Pro, The Bank Job, Leatherheads and Redbelt did: presence.

Cyrus may not be old enough to drive a car but on the stage she commands an audience better than many veteran rock bands do. While the film doesn’t shed much insight into Cyrus herself, giving us moments into her life that seem staged at best, the film really moves when there’s music to be made. Cyrus either chose one of her best performances of the last several years or puts on a heck of a show regularly. The film’s 70 plus minutes fly by pretty quickly, leaving you wanting to see her more. Her music may not appeal to everyone, but she has an undeniable presence in front of the camera that few actresses can claim.

Best of Both Worlds is a concert film for the teen set, in the same way Shine a Light was for the Baby Boomers and their love of the Rolling Stones, but if anything it shows that unless she follows the self-destructive pattern set by her predecessors Miley Cyrus can be a monstrous star.

Also included is the ability to watch the film in 3-D, with glasses provided for four people.

Presented in a Dolby Digital sound with a widescreen format, Disney once again puts their money into a high quality transfer. This is a film with a lot of colors, dependent on a top notch audio component to put the music through cleanly. It delivers, as the film is a marvel to watch and listen to.

Music & More are two cut songs from the concert film, one from intermission artist The Jonas Brothers and the other from Cyrus herself. There’s also an option to Sing Along with the movie in selected tracks.

Backstage Disney: The Ultimate Personal Tour is a backstage look at the stars and their schedule the day of the concert. It’s interesting to see how much work they do before they even get on stage.

Unless you absolutely love Miley Cyrus, the Jonas Brothers or Hannah Montana, or are a 12 year old girl, most likely Best of Both Worlds isn’t going to appeak to you. It’s an interesting concert film that isn’t boring, at least, but its appeal isn’t to the InsidePulse set I think.

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Disney presents Best of Both Worlds. Directed byBruce Hendricks. Starring Miley Cyrus, Billy Ray Cyrus, the Jonas Brothers. Running time: 74 minutes. Rated G. Released on DVD: August 19, 2008. Available at Amazon.com.