Critics Slam Miley Cyrus' New Movie

Critics are panning Miley Cyrus big screen Hannah Montana debut.

"Even as adults give their blessing for prepubescent moviegoers to see the film, they should be plotting to stay as far away from the theater as possible," writes the San Francisco Chronicle, who gave the film (in theaters today) two stars.

"If you're no longer old enough to carry a Hannah Montana lunch box, this movie will feel like punishment," adds the reviewer.

The Washington Times echoes the sentiment: "Hannah Montana: The Movie isn't exactly high art, but that's not really the point, is it? Fans of the series will find much to enjoy here. Their parents? Not so much."

Cyrus plays Miley Stewart, a normal student by day, pop star by night in the movie, adapted from her popular Disney series. On the big screen, her dad (played by real-life pop Billy Ray) drags her back to the family's Tennessee Farm after she becomes too spoiled.

The Hollywood Reporter says the flick "likely won't match last year's $31.1 million opening registered by Miley's all-singing Best of Both Worlds -- but Cyrus' enthusiastic fan base should ensure brisk spring break business."

The New York Post, which offers one star, compares the movie to a "virtual remake of the fusty oldie Sweet Home Alabama. Though the Hannah fantasy must keep many a fifth-grade pulse beating through social studies, the hook is all there is to this character."

Don't blame Cyrus, says Salon.com. "She has that trying-too-hard look. Maybe it's the movie's makeup artists who failed her -- as Hannah, she just doesn't look fresh and dewy enough, as even a teenage pop star ought to. And the wig looks a little too much like something Flip Wilson might wear as his own alter ego, Geraldine."

The Web site says Taylor Swift's short cameo "unintentionally but definitively upstages poor Hannah Montana."

But some critics say the movie isn't all bad, even if you're over the age of 12.

New York's Daily News, which offers a three-star rating, says the Disney movie "breaks little ground, but makes the big screen shift with liveliness and sense of humor impressively intact."

They cite the movie's "high-energy songs designed to keep eight-year-olds bouncing in their seats" and say the script "hits mostly high notes."