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David Mumpower: There was a line from Malcolm X along the lines of "That's too much power for one man to have." I think about that when I think of Miley Cyrus. For better and for worse, I see her as the voice of girls ages 8-18. And I don't mean just right now. I expect her to hold this title for a long time, because she has been a seminal part of their upbringing. A symbiotic link has been forged. Nothing that happens with her career surprises me at this point and she'll need a Tiger Woods harem to lose her placement in their minds. This is the greatest achievement of the Disney Marketing Machine in the 2000s, even over Jack Sparrow and High School Musical (the gateway program for Hannah Montana).

Matt Huntley: I admit it, it did open higher than I expected, especially after I saw the trailer and Miley Cyrus barely spoke in it (there was a rumor the studio was so unhappy with her performance, they didn't want her to be featured in the trailer very much, other than her looks). But just like her Hannah Montana movies, I think this one will be just a memory by its third weekend and most people, including all the members of her fanbase, will be saying, "What was that one movie Miley Cyrus made? You know, the non-Hannah Montana one?"

Just out of curiosity, did anyone from the BOP crew see it? Was it as bad as its reviews indicate?

Michael Lynderey: I saw it (there, I admit it). I actually thought it wasn't bad, certainly better than Dear John and the two Hannah Montana movies (I include that concert film), all of which I seriously disliked. However, I may have been desensitized to this kind of thing over the years since I'll watch just about anything.

Jim Van Nest: Miley Cyrus will eventually be a player in films. But she's going to need to step away from her comfort zone and do something different if she wants to be taken seriously. Disney stars CAN make the transition, but is has to be done just right. See: Anne Hathaway for the perfect example.

However, to get back to Kim's original question, it's a helluva lot more than I expected. This isn't the typical Sparks "I'll go see Iron Man with you if you see Last Song with me" romance. And I think you have to credit Cyrus for the success of the opening weekend.

David Mumpower: Unlike Michael, I have yet to see it (thankfully). I did, however, note with wry amusement that my 12-year-old niece had a Twitter update on Wednesday night of "I saw The Last Song and it is WONDERFUL!!! 5 Stars!!!!!" So, it's hitting the right note with its core audience of Hannah Montana-ites.

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