Reviews of The Phantom Tollbooth

The Last Song

The Last Song is the new drama based on the story by popular writer Nicholas Sparks. Little has changed in the formula that has made him so well known among the female viewing audience. People know what to expect they just are never sure what form it will arrive. But you can rest assured that it will end with tears and a journey. This is no spoiler alert. It is no secret that Sparks’ plot lines make country music seem like wonderful, festive bliss.

In this particular tale Ronnie (Miley Cyrus) is a teenage girl who is spending the summer with her father. Her parents are divorced and her mother thinks that time spent at his southern beach house will be good for her. Ronnie is an incredibly talented pianist but would rather sulk around in rebellion and angst than to pursue a music education. Her father (Greg Kinnear) is also a great musician and he misses the time that he and his daughter shared this passion. Toss in a well-to-do hot guy (Liam Hemsworth) and some small town drama and you pretty much have the setting.

All of Spark’s films will be compared to The Notebook. That is always the first question asked. How does it compare to The Notebook? Well, it doesn’t. First of all Cyrus just does not have the acting chops to be able to pull off a serious role of any kind, much less a full length big screen picture. Her scenes are either way over acted or come across like a Disney back-lot rehash. This was a big role and needed someone with more time under their belt. Honestly, she is simply annoying throughout; and not because the character was written that way. The times when she needs to be cute and endearing she comes across as silly and embarrassing. This immediately takes you out of the moment and you lose the impact of the film. Luckily Greg Kinnear brings genuine realness that fits perfectly in a Sparks based story. He is fabulous as always and salvages the film as much as possible but he can’t do it all by himself and has little help here.

The Last Song is rated PG for thematic material, some violence, sensuality and mild language. Other than the typical Sparks emotional journey it is safe for anyone 10 and up. The tweenie fans of Cyrus will more than likely love seeing her on the screen and will find the romantic moments worth giggling over. I would not even consider this a good date movie or girls night out flick. There is just not enough in it to attract any serious movie watcher and though Sparks delivers a solid story with teenage heart and soul it gets lost in the bad acting and made for TV directing. I give it 2 out of 5 runaway sea turtles. And trust me; they weren’t the only ones trying to make an escape. So says Matt Mungle.

Matt Mungle