Thumbs way down, Miley!
Despite Miley Cyrus' popularity with the tween set, critics nationwide have panned her performance in the romantic drama The Last Song, in theaters Wednesday.
"A more convincing star could make this a degree more tolerable, although in Cyrus's defense not much more," writes the Boston Globe. "Allegedly, this is the film in which Cyrus gets all, like, dramatic. If by 'dramatic' one means pouty, sullen, and cute, then OK."
The New York Times goes a step further, calling Cyrus a "big problem" in the film, based on author Nicholas Sparks' novel, in which she plays bratty musical prodigy Ronnie, staying with her estranged dad (Greg Kinnear) at a beach house for the summer. "Acting, for the moment at least, seems almost entirely beyond her…she pouts, slouches, storms in and out of rooms and occasionally cracks a snaggle-toothed smile, but most of the time she seems to be mugging for the camera, play-acting rather than exploring the motives and feelings of her character."
The Miami Herald calls her acting "stiff" and "unconvincing," while Variety snipes that the star "hasn't yet learned not to act with her eyebrows and overbite. "
The New York Post, citing her "approximately one-and-a-half expressions," cattily links Cyrus to another former teen singer's foray into cinema: "Cyrus makes the most dubious 'dramatic' debut of any singer since Britney Spears." The paper also adds that she and costar Liam Hemsworth — now her real-life beau — have a "total lack of on-screen chemistry"
Adds the Village Voice of Cyrus' first on-screen kiss with Hemsworth, who plays Will: "I can't recall ever squirming as much as I did during Ronnie and Will’s first kiss; shiny, buff Hemsworth looks like he's locking lips with an Andy Hardy–era Mickey Rooney in a wig."
What does Us Weekly Film Critic Thelma Adams think? In the new issue out now, Adams gives the flick one-and-a-half stars out of four and an "Us Bust" warning label. "The family drama is overstuffed with twists, tragedies…and one tortured expression of love after another," Adams says. "Ugh!"
