Film Review: Doctor Horrible's Sing-Along Blog

**Spoilers**
If you have not yet watched this musical, PLEASE go and do so before proceeding!

             Joss Whedon. Do I really need to say anything else? The names speaks for itself! He's the guy who worked on The Avengers...so you all should know that his name is usually the definition of quality entertainment. In fact...can you even say anything negative about Mr. Whedon? Hmmm. Let's see...

       He's responsible for Buffy the Vampire Slayer. No...no that's nothing but a good thing. Um....he's the man behind Firefly? Nope. That's something good too. He also has worked on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, Angel, Serenity, The Cabin in the Woods, and an adaptation of Much Ado About Nothing. The point I am trying to make is that Joss Whedon is king and anyone who tries to convince me otherwise will be freeze-rayed. Even the things that I personally did not enjoy, I have to admit that there was some quality to them. He actually reminds me of Steven Moffat in the good-old days before Mr. Moffat got too much on his plate and started dealing in plot-holes and inconsistencies...back whenever he was still the emperor of scaring children.


       So naturally whenever I heard that Joss Whedon had produced a web musical,  I settled down and delved into the weird world of Dr. Horrible!

Favorite Moments & Random Thoughts:

- Right from the opening shot you know that this is going to be a fun ride. How? Well for starters you have Neil Patrick Harris in a lab coat and goggles (the type that the Ghostfacers wear), practicing his evil laugh to keep the vocal chords in shape. What's not to like?

- "Captain Hammer, corporate tool!"

- The gold bars that were transmatted from the bank now look like scummy water. Oh dear...

- "It's not about making money, it's about taking money. Upsetting the status quo."

- One thing that is a MUST for any musical to succeed is for the music to be up to snuff. Like having good characters, the music can make-or-break any story because if the story is good but the music is not...no one's really going to remember your musical. There is a reason that folklore and history was so often recorded in ballads and chants...the human mind remembers stories and facts told through music better than any other method. Fortunately, the songs from this particular musical are excellent: well-written, funny, and extremely hummable.


- FELICIA DAY!!! As if this musical couldn't get any more perfect...

- Penny is an absolutely wonderful character. She is sweet, helpful, loving, and a bit naive. She's just a delight to watch.

- It is also wonderful how this story doesn't fall into a lot of the clichés that surround both the supervillain-inside-story genre and the unrequited romance trope. It is proof that there are still original stories to be told out there.

- There was just so much passion and camaraderie that was poured into this project. You can see that everyone is having the time of their lives.

- Best. Catchphrase. EVER!

- You know what I would like to see in the long-awaited sequel? I would love to hear some of Moist's story (Dr. Horrible's villain buddy). Where did he come from? What's his M.O? How did he and Dr. Horrible become friends? Why does he make everything soggy? He's a cool character that I would like to learn more about.

- Captain Hammer is such a delightfully hammy character (pun fully intended). He embodies all the stereotypes about the brainless brawn superhero jerks and yet somehow manages to make them feel fresh, new, and joyously familiar all at once. That's a hard thing to do with a tired trope and I salute Joss Whedon and Nathan Fillion for pulling it off. I think it's the whole tone of the show that does it...it's EXTREMELY tongue-in-cheek.

- Billy's crush on Penny is absolutely adorkable! I love the way they bond over laundry soap and frozen yoghurt. 

- I like the way Penny falls for Captain Hammer's charms immediately. Who wouldn't want to be pursued by a handsome hero like that? It isn't as though she sees the more snotty side of him anyway. She always tries to see the good in people and that makes her oblivious to Captain Hammer's self-absorbency.

- The Evil League of Evil. Snazzy title there, Bad Horse.

- I really want to know why Dr. Horrible has that ENORMOUS armchair... 

- Captain Hammer's fights with Dr. Horrible are absolutely hilarious! I think there's even one where he gives the villain a superwedgie. What a bunch of children! 

- This musical has a bit of everything: satire, comedy, romance, a bit of social commentary, and tragedy. I have to admit that you can practically cite this as the definition of Mood Whiplash as the climax takes you from giggling naughtily to gobsmacked horror in about two seconds flat. That's got to be some kind of record.

                In short this is something you should put on your bucket list. Everyone should watch this little gem at least ONCE in their lifetime (then when you've seen it once you'll want to do so again). It just sparkles with wit, talent, and perfection. The casting is perfect, the story wonderful, and the music to die for. Doctor Horrible's Sing-Along Blog is DEFINITELY a 5/5.

What did you think? Do you agree with my rating? If not - what would you say differently?