What did Joss Whedon do during the WGA strike 2 years ago? Strike be damned, he created one of the funniest short films ever, that's what. I, unfortunately, didn't take the 45 minutes to enjoy Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog until a couple weeks ago. And now I can't get enough.
Turning the superhero/villain dynamic on its ear, Whedon gives us Dr. Horrible, a super villain trying to join the Evil League of Evil, only to have his attempts of evil-doing thwarted by his arch nemesis, the ludicrous and narcissistic superhero Captain Hammer. When Captain Hammer begins wooing the sweet and caring Penny, Dr. Horrible's long time crush, Horrible becomes more determined than ever to become the ultimate villain...in order to win the heart of his dream girl...who advocates for the homeless. All set to music.
Twisted? Oh, yes! Awesome? Oh my, yes!
This short has a little bit of everything. Hilarious, quotable dialogue? Check. Fun, catchy tunes? Check. Sweet and tender moments? Check. Delicious eye candy? Check!
Clearly the film was made on a tiny budget, but it really doesn't matter. Everyone is having so much fun hamming up their performances, the cheap effects fit right in and enhance the outcome.
Though the ending initially felt abrupt, after watching it a second time, I've realized it's perfectly fitting and really couldn't have ended any other way, lending some honest emotion to what is mostly silly fun.
Mr. Whedon, you are my superhero...or villain. Whichever you prefer.
If you haven't seen it, check it out for free (in the US) at Hulu.
Rating:
4 pieces of fan mail:
This is hysterical, laugh-out-loud, pee-in-your-pants funny! I love Joss Whedon & Nathan Fillion already, but I was impressed with Neil Patrick Harris' performance in this as well. I'm sure there are laws somewhere that make it illegal to have this much fun, but I don't care!!! This video is awesome!!!!!!!!!!
I'm sorry I hyped it up so much for you and you only ended up hating it. ("Wow. Sarcasm. That's original.")
I was an NPH fan back from his "Doogie Howser" days, and I'm so glad he's resurrected his career -- who knew he was this funny and had such a talent for poking fun at himself?
I know! When he first broke out in song (and sounded amazing) I was stunned. I'm glad he's one former child actor that hasn't ended up in rehab or prison.
Post a Comment