Nicholas Spark's latest film adaptation, "THE LAST SONG," is now available on blu-ray. Miley Cyrus stars as "Ronnie,"(Veronica), a young piano virtuoso, whose artistic talent is put aside when her parents divorce and she moves away with her mom, (Kelly Preston). A typical rebellious child of divorce, and a teen, Ronnie won't play piano(OH, NO!) and won't talk to her father, Steve Miller(Greg Kinnear). A few years later, Ronnie's mom decides to have her and Jonah, a younger brother, spend their summer with dad.  Being a Nicholas Sparks script adapted from his novel, things are extremely predictable, as Ronnie goes out of the way to make her dad's life worrisome and as unhappy as possible. Also, being a Nicholas Sparks story, the cliche's of young love are abundant, as Ronnie finds a cute cause and cute boyfriend. Also, ...being a Nicholas Sparks story,...impending tragedy is just around the corner! Miley Cyrus isn't bad here. In fact, for the most part, her character appears natural. Liam Hemsworth(currently Miley's real-life boyfriend)isn't a good actor, and it shows in every scene where he has to talk. There are good actors out there who are also good looking, so it's surprising Hemsworth got this part. Fault for this oversight lies with its director, first-timer Julie Anne Robinson. But, Robinson also deserves blame for much, much more. She doesn't know when to say cut, or so it appears, in several overly-extended scenes!  Less can be more, but Robinson definitely doesn't believe so. That said, largely due to Kinnear's performance, "THE LAST SONG" still manages to tug a few heartstrings in its overly manipulative, albeit effective way. There have been worse "Sparks" adaptations. Eg., "THE NOTEBOOK," is still arguably a "dreadful" film! And, the younger, target viewers for this film are likely to gulp it up, as did the tweens watching the blu-ray with this reviewer and family.

BUENA VISTA has provided the correct 2.35:1 aspect ratio for this AVC MPEG-4 1080p blu-ray.  The color and contrast vary greatly throughout the film. Colors are vibrant and natural in one scene, and remarkably dull  in another. Contrast is generally consistent in quality, offering deep, although never inky black levels. Detail, however, is consistently outstanding! Whether a scene is occurring on the beach under the mid-day sun, or at night in a screened in porch, the various textures of sand, wood and more are exquisite! The depth achieved here makes up for any other shortcomings in video quality.

BUENA VISTA has provided a DTS-HD MA 5.1 mix.  A reference quality mix! From beginning to end, ambient, bass and discrete effects blend perfectly with dialogue.  It's surprising, in a great way, to find the consistently pleasing immersive environment at hand in this mix. While surrounds aren't aggressive, they're used effectively in key moments and to highlight the engaging pop-songs. Subtle effects are just as impressive as the more heavy-handed ones employed here, and what's presented makes "THE LAST SONG" much more engaging than its material would otherwise suggest. A GREAT MIX!

An audio commentary with the film's director and producer, is extremely dry, and not recommended for anyone other than the biggest fans of the film. In a surprising extra, an "alternate opening" is offered, demonstrating how much more effective the film could've been in pulling the viewer immediately in, had this been employed rather than the theatrical opening. Other extras included deleted scenes(all of which are no-brainers as to why they were cut), a music video, "making of music video," and an outtake.