Plot: What’s it about?
Until a few years ago, I really had no idea who Miley Cyrus was. The whole “Hanna Montana” thing is way beyond my time and though I don’t claim to have the pulse of the younger generation, I really don’t see the appeal in Miss Cyrus. I was more familiar with her father, Billy Ray, whose one-hit wonder “Achy Breaky Heart” evidently paved the way for his stardom and, hence, his daughter’s. Now let’s take a step back from all things Cyrus and focus on Mr. Nicholas Sparks. It seems that some authors can pretty much get a birthday card turned into a movie while others are ignored for all time. For those unfamiliar with the works/movies of Sparks; some of his credits include: “Nights in the Rodanthe”, “Dear John” and the daddy of them all, “The Notebook.” Yeah, that guy. So you’ve got unquestionably one of the most annoying “actresses” working today and a man who has the propensity (or the ability, take your pick) to write sappy romance movies that all have one thing in common ? a beach. Ready for “The Last Song?”
Cyrus plays Veronica “Ronnie” Miller who hasn’t taken her parent’s divorce that well. Her father (Greg Kinnear) has moved from the hustle and bustle of New York City to the rather dull life in Tybee Island, Georgia. Ultimately her mother decides it best if Ronnie spent the summer with her father. Steve (Kinnear) is a former concert pianist and teacher and he’s immersed in a project for the local church. Naturally this isn’t the best thing when Ronnie is trying to bond with her father. Ronnie happens to find some sea turtle eggs around the house and wants to keep them from nature’s most dangerous predator: raccoons. Of course, this leads to the inevitable meeting between Ronnie and Will (Lima Hemsworth) and then we have?a Nicholas Sparks movie. Will Ronnie discover true love in the most absurd of places or will she simply spend the summer in Georgia and high tail it back to NYC?
Video: How does it look?
Visually “The Last Song” leaves a little bit to the imagination and that’s a bit strange considering that it’s brand new to Blu-ray. Disney usually does a fine job with the 2.40:1 AVC HD transfer, although the colors don’t pop quite as much as I’d expected. The palette used is a bit on the desaturated side and this does give way to some rosy-ness in regards to the flesh tones. Contrast is strong and detail level is consistent with most any new movie. I doubt people will find much to complain about, the movie looks perfectly acceptable, just not as “acceptable” as I’d have thought.
Audio: How does it sound?
The DTS HD Master Audio soundtrack has a few moments here, but they’re few and far between. If you’re like me then you’d automatically associate anything with Miley Cyrus to be all about the pop rock and seeing how loud everything can be. Yeah, well this is a romance movie and that’s not the way things work. Dialogue is very sharp and strong and though the LFE does stretch its legs a few times, most of the action is relegated to the front stage. Like the video, the audio isn’t anything earth shaking, but it won’t disappoint either.
Supplements: What are the extras?
There’s just enough supplements on this Blu-ray to warrant a purchase, although that’s considering that you like the movie enough to fork out $25 to purchase it. We start off with a commentary track by director Julie Anne Robinson and
co-director Jennifer Giggot. It’s a fairly average track that doesn’t shed too much light on what’s going on except what’s happening on screen. Still, it’s better to have than have not I suppose. Next up is a music video featuring, you guessed it, Miley Cyrus as she performs “When I Look at You.” We also get a pseudo documentary of sorts as actor Bobby Coleman gives us a tour around the set and gives us the skinny on some of the other cast and crew member. We also get an alternate opening sequence as well as several deleted scenes with commentary by the director. There’s also a second disc that’s the DVD of the movie.
