Culture

“The idea was to make it on the fly, on the cheap – but to make it. To turn out a really thrilling, professionalish (sic) piece of entertainment specifically for the Internet. To show how much could be done with very little. To show the world there is another way. To give the public (and in particular you guys) something for all your support and patience. And to make a lot of silly jokes. Actually, that sentence probably should have come first.”

What started as an experiment for Whedon, the genius behind the movie and TV series “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” as well as the renowned TV series “Firefly,” turned into a quality piece of art for the rest of us to enjoy. Because there's no denying that “Dr. Horrible” is at every turn artistic, sarcastic, satiric but, most importantly, charged with an energy from its actors that is rarely visible in television today. (In fact, you won't find “Dr. Horrible” on television – it is exclusively available on the Internet, though a DVD release is scheduled before year’s end.)

In a sense, Dr. Horrible is a metaphor for the modern-day American professional...Neil Patrick Harris, star of the CBS series “How I Met Your Mother,” plays the titular character with a sense of deranged dedication that one would expect from an aspiring evil-doer. As Dr. Horrible, he laments not only his continued rejection from the Evil League of Evil but his continued failure to land a date with Penny (played by Felicia Day, who previously worked with Whedon on the “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” TV series), the girl of his dreams. In a sense, Dr. Horrible is a metaphor for the modern-day American professional: He wants to be evil because that's his job. But when it comes down to it, he's just a regular Joe trying to do what a lot of young, single professionals do: try to do well at work and get laid on the side.

Nathan Fillion, who Whedon fans will remember as Captain Malcolm Reynolds from “Firefly,” plays Dr. Horrible's nemesis, Captain Hammer, the scummy do-gooder who always foils Dr. Horrible's plans. At a heist where the Evil League of Evil is monitoring Dr. Horrible's performance, Hammer saves Penny's life, and they begin a happy relationship. This leaves Dr. Horrible to brood about not only his lost love but his difficulty impressing the Evil League of Evil enough to gain membership.

...[W]hat really makes “Dr. Horrible” a unique comedic offering are the brilliant musical numbers peppered throughout the film...The story is interesting enough, but what really makes “Dr. Horrible” a unique comedic offering are the brilliant musical numbers peppered throughout the film and the admirable talent who performs them. From hearing Dr. Horrible sing about using his freeze ray to help him woo Penny to telling us exactly what it is that a man's got to do, the film spontaneously jumps between musical styles while maintaining a cohesive storytelling voice – the true mark of a great musical comedy.

All in all, Whedon has created a masterpiece, one which could possibly revolutionize the way people think about entertainment and access it. “Dr. Horrible” is the greatest thing to happen to television in years – and you can't even watch it on television.
[Dr. Horrible]