Review: The "Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special" is an Authentic Celebration for the Fans that Grew Up Alongside Miley
Are you ready to relive the “Best of Both Worlds?” Well in just a few hours the Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special arrives on Disney+ and, after attending the premiere, I’m ready to tell you all you need to know!
Disney Channel’s pop culture defining series Hannah Montana turns 20 tomorrow. For those who are either too young to remember or grew up under a rock, the hit show follows Miley Stewart (Miley Cyrus), a normal girl with a pop star alter ego who strives to get the “Best of Both Worlds.” With the help of her father Robby Ray (Billy Ray Cyrus) and her two best friends Lily Truscott (Emily Osment) and Oliver Oaken (Mitchell Musso), Miley finds herself in a variety of comedically tricky situations to protect her normal life from the drawbacks of superstardom.
Tonight, March 23rd, Disney held a premiere for the Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special at the El Capitan Theatre and I had the privilege to experience the event first hand. Before the screening even began, the atmosphere was so nostalgic.
Being surrounded by hundreds of fans singing along and dancing to songs that defined so many childhoods created a shared sense of community that I wasn’t prepared for. There were tons of people in iconic recreations of outfits from the franchise, and it was such a special reminder of how culturally defining it was growing up with Hannah Montana.
Of course, Miley was in attendance and gave some opening remarks welcoming everyone to the once-in-a-lifetime event.
As the screening began, what stood out immediately was how naturally Miley Cyrus slipped back into the role. Returning to these iconic sets Miley brought her own personal evolution to Hannah, making her feel like she never truly left when Hannah Montana ended back in 2011. The special was filled with fun throwbacks, including transition scenes straight out of the series with vocals! While I was expecting a more 20/20 style deep dive into the series, it actually felt more like a warm embrace of Hannah Montana as a character and celebrating the lasting impacts she has held on everyone, including Miley Cyrus.
Kicking off the special, Hannah hits the stage to perform the theme song for the show “The Best of Both Worlds.” Hearing this beloved classic performed with Miley’s more mature voice adds a new emotional depth, while still preserving the charm that made them iconic. Hannah doesn’t feel like she’s back for some best hits tour we see from other acts that have stepped away from the spotlight, in a lot of ways it just feels like she never left. Miley hasn’t performed as Hannah since she was a teenager, making her authentic return feel especially emotional. Throughout the special, she also performs “This Is The Life,” “The Climb,” and a brand new song that will have you shedding a few tears.
Ironically, one of the special's greatest strengths was also one of its weaknesses. The special invites several guest stars to take part in the celebration, most of which were in Miley’s family. Seeing Tish (Miley’s mom) reminisce about her memories of being on set with Miley, including her extensive work behind the scenes on curating both Miley and Hannah’s looks, felt so familiar to a conversation you’d have with your own mom about childhood. Billy Ray also joins Miley on set for some throwbacks. While it was cool to see them re-read one of the more impactful scenes from the series, it is clear that their relationship is far from what it was during the late aughts.
The special included appearances by Disney Channel star Selena Gomez and singer Chappell Roan. Selena Gomez made sense as an additional guest star, playing Hannah’s arch nemesis Mikayla, but Chappell Roan felt incredibly out of place. Both of them should’ve taken a backseat in favor of appearances by Emily Osment, Mitchell Musso, Moises Arias, or Jason Earles.
I will also add that the concerns regarding Alex Cooper’s interviewing style were not unfounded. There were several moments where I wish she would’ve asked follow up questions and dove deeper. But she doesn’t have as much screentime as you might expect, with Miley driving most of the journey on her own.
Beyond some of its misses, the Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special is a joyful and reflective celebration of Hannah Montana as a character and cultural icon. As Miley embraces Hannah as a part of her, it allows viewers to reconnect with their younger selves while recognizing how much they’ve grown alongside Miley.
Miley remains incomparably funny, entertaining, and down-to-earth, and, while it might not have hit every point I had hoped for, the Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special is both fun and heartfelt. Offering a nostalgic, mature, and authentic reintroduction to Hannah Montana, it also serves as a closed chapter for the character. There is a finality to it that feels bittersweet, but I’m so happy that Miley spoke it into existence and invited us back into the world of Hannah Montana one last time.
Check out the Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special on Disney+ starting March 24th.
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