Plot Details: This opinion reveals major details about the movie's plot.

I decided to review outside my usual box and review something completely different from my usual fare.  For Epinions, I watched three seasons of Disney's top rated television show, Hannah Montana.  I actually enjoyed this children's television show and found my self laughing out loud at many of the situations on the show.  I haven't laughed so much at kids TV since watching a Sponge Bob Square Pants marathon on Nickelodeon. 

Hannah Montana - Season Two!

Here is Season Two!, now available on Netflix via streaming video and soon to be available on Blu Ray.  Disney's Miley Cyrus was even funnier in Season Two of Hannah Montana. Plenty of guest stars including Larry David, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Heather Locklear, MadTVs Michael McDonald, Brooke Shields, Dolly Parton, Gilbert Gotfried, Ray Ramano, Joey Fatone, Donny Osmond and David Koechner.  All the season regulars are back of course, Miley Cyrus as Miley Stewart (aka Hannah Montana), Billy Ray Cyrus as her father and manager, Robbie Ray Stewart, Emily Osment as Miley's bff Lilly Truscott, Jason Earles as Miley's brother, Jackson Stewart, and Michael Musso as her friend, Oliver Oaken.  Moises Aires returns in Season Two as a regular cast member, Rico, the owner and operator of Rico's Surf Shop.

Family Oriented Disney Entertainment

Disney's popular 'tweener show focuses on the life of Miley Stewart, a supposedly average teenage girl living with her single father, Robbie Ray Stewart and her lazy, stupid older brother, Jackson Stewart. She has two best friends, Lilly Truscott and Oliver Oaken. In Season Two they attend Malibu High School.  In case any one didn't know, Miley Stewart is secretly also popstar, Hannah Montana. In the opening episodes of Season One, only her friends Lilly and Oliver learn of her secret identity.  In season Two, Miley again meets up with Zombie Slayer's Jake Ryan and reveals her secret identity to him.  Other returning minor characters are Mikala (Selena Gomez) , a teen pop star rival, whose manager is Boston Legals Camryn Manheim.  Another teen star Tracy Van Horn also appears.

Rico's increased air time is a good thing as he is one of the shows funniest characters.  He still has schemes aplenty and he still manages to make Jackson's life miserable at every possible opporunity.   I didn't care at all for one new character a new student named Thor, a Swedish student from a midwest farm.  Mean girls Amber and Ashley aren't present as much for this second season, but Lilly and Miley find plenty of other things to occupy their time. Billy Ray Cyrus continues to be amusing as a single father trying to keep two teenagers in line, with the added problem of one being a pop star and the other being a complete idiot. I'm sure he loves them both equally, one who eats everything in sight and is a complete slob, the other whos concert earnings paid for the families new home on the beach in Malibu and Dad's new Porsche.

Although Season Two has not been officially released yet on DVD, the entire season is available on Netflix with their new streaming video service. Season Two has 29 episodes. 

Some of Season Two's Funniest Episodes

You Are So Sueable to Me  Lilly has a crush on a boy, and he likes her back.. until Miley convinces Lilly to change her skater girl to a more feminine image. The boy ditches Lilly, and Lilly decided to take him to "Teen Court". Teen Court is a spoof of all the day time Court programs mixed with Nickelodeon's Game Shows in which people get food dumped on them.  Who appears dressed up as Lilly's lawyer?.. Miley of course. After all the evidence is presented, the judge decides that Miley is responsible for her friends hearbreak and not the boy that didn't show up for the date. Miley is sentenced to having spaghetti and meatballs dumped over her head.

My Best Friend's Boyfriend In the season opener of Curb Your Enthusiasm, Larry David tries to figure out some celebrity that Funkhauser's sister is talking about. You know, that really famous actress? David shouts out Hannah Montana?  It turns out that Larry's real life daughters, Romy and Cazzie are Hannah Montana fans, so the three of them guest star as themselves on this episode. Larry David is trying to get a table at a popular restaurant when Hannah Montana shows up at the last minute and is immediately seated. Larry tries to tell the waiter that it is his daughter's birthday and that he created Seinfeld and Curb your Enthusiasm. (well at least half of that was true) His daughter looks at him as says Face it dad, she's just more popular than you!

Oh yeah, the main focus of the episode is that Lilly has a new boyfriend and Miley catches him cheating on her. However, when she tries to tell Lilly, Lilly just thinks that she is jealous and doesn't believe her.

When You Wish You Were The Star  After watching Jake Ryan get fawned over in class and brought in pancake breakfasts and more special treatment, she decides that she would like to be Hannah Montana all the time, instead of having the best of both worlds. Miley gets her wish, and wakes up the next morning with real blonde hair. Miley no longer exists, her dad dates a gold digging young woman barely older than Hannah, and Jackson has left, tired of being in his sisters shadow.  In this part spoof of It's a Wonderful Life and part lesson Be careful what you wish for Miley learns that the best of one world isn't all its cracked up to be.

Song Sung Bad Lilly wants to sing, so best friend Miley/Hannah records her song in the studio.  The concept of someone being unable to sing has been done from the days of the Brady Bunch to boy band spoofs on the Simpsons. It is still funny though, Miley "retouches" Lillys voice and makes her sound like a celebrity. Unfortunately, Lilly believes she can actually sing and is going to enter a keraoke contest unless Miley can tell her the truth.  Too bad more American Idol contestants didn't have friends like Miley!

Don't Stop 'til you Get the Phone  I don't care if this is television for children, this show cracked me up as one very funny show. Miley wants a new cell phone but her father won't let her have the money to buy it.  Miley and Lilly get the idea to sell a "sleazy photo" of Hannah for the money and the plan is about to work when they realize that the photo of Hannah in curlers also has Hannah wearing a necklace that says Miley on it. She needs to get the photo back, but the tabloid won't return it unless they can get an even more stunning photo of wrestler turned actor, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.  I've always liked The Rock in the movies, he is a great action star, and he has a good sense of humor. His sense of humor truly shines here as he allows himself to get a full makeover by Miley and Lilly disguised as hotel room service.

Lilly's Mom has Got it Goin On Robbie Ray Stewart (Billy Ray Cyrus) meets Lilly Truscott's mom for the first time. It turns out that Ms. Truscott is a total babe who looks just like Heather Locklear (because she is played by Heather Locklear). It seems like a match made in heaven until his southern hospitality collides with her independant LA attitude.

I Will Always Loathe You  Vicki Lawrence as Miley and Jacksons grandmother and Dolly Parton as their godmother return in this episode and their fueding and childish behavoir nearly ruin an award show for Hannah.

(We're So Sorry) Uncle Earl - David Koechner (Legend of Ron Burgundy, Thank you For Smoking) has always had comedic talent, and he lends his hilarious presence to this show as the often spoke of, but never previously seen Uncle Earl. Earl has decided to unleash his inner rock star.  Disney veteran (the parrot from Aladdin) and comedian Gilbert Godfried also guest stars as an acidic critic, Barney Bittman.  Jackson's impersonation of speech impaired Ozzy Osbourne alone was hilarious, but Koechner steals the show.

Yet Another Side of Me  Hannah is upset when pop star Isis (Disney's caracture of real life Madonna) tells Hannah that she must change her image constantly to keep her fans interested.  What would Hannah sound like if she channeled Joan Jett or 80's hair metal bands? Kind of funny actually. Hannah tries to come up with a new image and decides on the anti-Hannah, a punk haired, leather and chain wearing rocker. Hannah inspires a riot with her new look at an appearance as Role Model of the Year for the Sunshine Girls.  If Finnish death metal band Children of Bodom can cover a Britney Spears song, I guess that Miley Cyrus can pretend that she sings hair metal for an episode.

We're All in this Date Together  Rico manages to win a date with Hannah Montana, but must share it with another celebrity that Hannah actually likes.   Will Hannah manage to get rid of Rico and impress the boy she actually likes?  Ray Romano guest stars as himself in this episode as part of the charity auction.  The joke is that despite his success on Everybody Loves Raymond, nobody in the room knows Raymond.

Episodes I Didn't Like

Achey Jakey Heart (Part Two) Miley realizes that dating Jake Ryan isn't all she thought it would be and gets tired of his self centered attitude. However, she fears that if she breaks up with Jake, he will reveal that she is Hannah Montana and destroy her life. She decides to get Jake to break up with her and trys to embarrass him with tacky behavior.   At an awards show Miley dresses up in a swan dress.  As Miley would say on her show Teen pop idol does WHhaaah?  As funny as I find the show, I really don't appreciate this young 'tween sensation pop star making fun of Icelands most talented and prettiest music sensation Bjork.  Nobody wears a swan dress like Bjork, and nobody should.

Summary

Hannah Montana is a pretty funny show.  Although sometimes the humor is juvenile, it is after all aimed at a younger audience. Sometimes I often find that  "family" programming or "childrens" programming is a euphamism for either boring or sickly sweet, but the situational comedy and physical comedy pratfalls make Hannah Montana an amusing fun to watch show. The show also manages to deliver positive messages to kids without appearing to do so.  I'm sure there are a lot worse shows that your children could watch. 

This is my entry into Carstairs38's Disney Writeoff!

For more Hannah Montana check out
Hannah Montana Season One
Hannah Montana The Movie

Viewing Format: Netflix Streaming Video
Plot Details: This review reveals that Miley Stewart is actually Hannah Montana!
Suitability for Children: This show is suitable for children of all ages.

Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: DVD