"Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog" (2008)

Behind the camera this Web-miniseries collects a lot of familiar Joss Whedon production-names, including the other two Whedon's, Jed and Zack, on the writing along with Joss and Jed's wife Maurissa Tancharoen. Names we easily recognize from everything between Buffy the Vampire Slayer's TV-show to Buffy the Vampire Slayer's and Dollhouse's writers for the comics, and everything in between. Speaking of Buffy. Anyone who's seen the musical episode "Once More with Feeling" knows Joss and his crew can pull off musicals easily, within any 'verse...

Captain Hammer (Nathan Fillion)

Speaking of production names, there's also some very interesting cameo's and smaller support roles in this were you'll see familiar names also on screen. With feature film The Cabin in the Woods soon releasing, there's always worth mentioning co-writer and the director for that movie, Drew Goddard, showing up in this miniseries. Also Doug Petrie's there, and any Buffy fan should recognize his name as well.

Let's finally care about what's happening on screen? Neil Patrick Harris takes the lead as Dr. Horrible / Billy, and he's a perfect cast. He nails the Whedon-humor as if he'd done it all his career. Felicia Day (appeared in other Whedon-franchise's Buffy and Dollhouse) is Penny (the love interest), Nathan Fillion is Captain Hammer (Dr. Horrible's nemesis and a self-obsessed superhero) and Simon Helberg (The Big Bang Theory, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip) is Moist (another wannabe-criminal). That's nothing short of a miraculous cast to put together for a $200k production (can't remember where I read that was the cost).

Dr. Horrible (Neil Patrick Harris)

Following a super-villain might not be the most original idea these days, but I doubt we'd see both Despicable Me and Megamind come to animated life in 2010 if it wasn't for the huge success this miniseries had. And Whedon knows superheroes and villains very well from his comic book interest, and here he takes the musical success from the before mentioned Buffy episode into the mix along with a lot of other genius touches. Ten years earlier you couldn't have known how blogging opened possibilities, but it's lovely incorporated into this. Dr. Horrible also encounters more usual everyday troubles than facing Captain Hammer, especially his crush on laundromat girl, Penny, whom he find him self unable to speak to. It's funny, cute and compelling, without becoming a cheap gag.

Penny (Felicia Day)

And there's obviously the musical numbers... They're mostly exceptionally well written, mixing wit with the ongoing storyline and the characters different ways, feelings and goals. I have the past few months played the Once More with Feeling-soundtrack a lot, and I think I've found another playlist contender here. My Freeze Ray being an instant favorite from the very first time in the series (and keeps growing on me as I write this, as I now listen to the soundtrack).

The third and final act isn't as great as the first two acts, but overall this is highly entertaining. I was captured already during the first video-blog post, but during the first musical number I was truly hooked. As so often before, these Whedonverse-writers find my funny bone almost every time. It's original, filled with great writing and is a very creative output from this collection of on-screen and writing talents.

During Q&A's for the upcoming Whedon-releases, a sequel has been mentioned. They're supposed to start working on it these days, and I can hardly wait.

BTW: You MUST check out Commentary! - The Musical, the crew's musical commentary track. It's also filled with gold, some of them hilarious enough to justify buying a couple of DVD-releases on its own merit. The other regular commentary track is the usual jibber-jabber, and not much of a sales-pitch.

★★★★★ "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog"