To the outside observer, Hannah Montana: The Movie may look like nothing more than an innocent piece of wholesome tween-oriented entertainment that's probably going to make a lot of money at the box office this weekend. But here at Film.com, we know there's much more to it than meets the eye. This isn't just a movie; it's the next phase in a secret plan for world domination concocted by one Miley Cyrus. Here's the intel we've gathered so far:

The Initial Phase
Miley infiltrated American pop culture by harnessing the unspeakable power of the Disney star-making machine. First, she ingratiated herself with our children through her Disney Channel series Hannah Montana. But adults began taking notice when out of nowhere, Hannah made the leap from kiddie sitcom to multimedia empire. Tickets to the Hannah Montana: Best of Both Worlds concert tour (and its subsequent 3D concert film) were harder to get than tickets to the inauguration of President Obama.

Phase 2
After Miley had won over the Disney crowd, it was time to introduce herself to the rest of the world. She did this by beginning to engage in behaviors that were just scandalous enough to get her on the cover of US Weekly, without doing anything bad enough to have parents demand she be removed from the pages of Tiger Beat. She made a few catty YouTube videos and poked fun at her Disney Channel rivals. She posed for a lightly risqué Annie Liebowitz photo shoot. She moved on from her squeaky clean, promise-ring-wearing first boyfriend Nick Jonas and began dating Justin Gaston, a 20-year-old underwear model. Suddenly, Riley was as riveting to fans of The Soup and TMZ as she was to the Hannah Montana fans.

Phase 3
Miley is currently in a transitional phase. Hannah Montana: The Movie marks her first time acting in a movie (unless you count her voice work for the animated film Bolt). She's still playing the character that brought her fame, but the pivotal moment in the movie's trailer comes when Miley's character sheds the blond Hannah Montana wig and says, "I'm tired of living a double life." Is this a sign that she's ready to say goodbye to her signature role and focus on just being Miley?

Phase 4
Hannah Montana may still continue for a season or two after the movie, but Miley has made it clear that she's already thinking ahead. She's already begun releasing music in her own name instead of the Hannah Montana persona, and has shown an interest in hanging with the grownups by attending the Oscars two years in a row. She'll tell anyone who'll listen that she's ready for more "adult" roles. (Slow down on that one, Miley! You're still only sixteen!) But she's also starting to show signs of diva behavior, most notoriously at this year's Grammy awards, where she told reporters she was going to "destroy" Radiohead after the British rock band allegedly snubbed her. If this kind of behavior continues, it could threaten her plan for world domination.

If there's one lesson Miley's dad, Billy Ray "Achy Breaky Heart" Cyrus should've known to teach her about show business, it's that no one gets to stay on top of the world forever. His success certainly didn't last long. And Miley needs look no farther than former Disney darlings like Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan for an idea of how bad things can get if you become too obsessed with your own fame.

If you really want to conquer the world, Miley, by all means go for it. But if you succeed, just try your best to be a levelheaded ruler.

Recommend (0)

|  Comments (0)

|  Email

|  Share

Share  Facebook Digg del.icio.us