Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog

"The world's a mess and I just need to...rule it."

Although Joss Whedon has given us multiple beloved creations including The Avengers, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Firefly, his greatest creation, in my mind, is his 2008 internet miniseries Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog. It's a comedy/drama/musical, which doesn't sound like it would work, but really really does. Done in 3 acts, each only about 13-14 minutes, we get the story of Dr. Horrible (Neil Patrick Harris), a mad scientist type, and his quest to get into the Evil League of Evil, while also pining for the cute girl at the laundromat, Penny (Felicia Day), and battling his archenemy, Captain Hammer (Nathan Fillion). All while singing ridiculously catchy songs that all further both plot and character.

Neil Patrick Harris is so engaging in the lead role that we're with him immediately from the opening scene, as he's a got a good sense of humor, self awareness, and even honor and decency. The role of Dr. Horrible is not too dissimilar to two different characters that came out 2 years later, Gru, from Despicable Me or Megamind from, um, Megamind. He's a villain, but he's the protagonist and we have the twisted morals to follow him as our "hero". He's likable and fun, and the most evil thing he's doing is stealing. He refuses to fight someone in a park because "kids play in that park, so..." and when it's suggested that he should murder someone to get into the Evil League of Evil, he dismisses it as not his style, because it's not "elegant or creative." Whedon and Harris do a masterful job of not necessarily making Dr. Horrible a villain with a heart of gold. He does have a good heart, but he's also a villain, not above doing villainous things. That's where the writing is so good, because we like Dr. Horrible, but we know that he's bad, and things will likely not turn out well for him.

"The Girl", Penny, is played by Felicia Day, one of the most instantly likable actresses I've ever seen. She had my immediate sympathy and I adored her as soon as I saw her. Dr. Horrible meets her at the laundromat, tells her his name is Billy (which maybe it is, Dr. Horrible is obviously not what his parents put on his birth certificate) once he's finally able to say anything to her. They become fast friends, but she starts going out with Hero of the City, Captain Hammer ("Captain Hammer, corporate tool" as the Dr. refers to him). Nathan Fillion has been called a "lovable rogue" for his lead role in Whedon's Firefly, but there's something about him I just don't care for or find likable. That's why he's so perfect as the uppity douche Captain Hammer. We hate Captain Hammer not because he's a hero, but because he's a shallow, narcissistic asshole. And Horrible must then figure out how to keep the girl of his dreams from falling into the arms of his nemesis, while also impressing Bad Horse, the leader of the Evil League of Evil. There's a lot packed into the 42-minute runtime of the series.

The supporting cast is filled in by people like Moist (Big Bang Theory's Simon Helberg), Dr. Horrible's roommate and "evil moisture buddy," a singing trio of Captain Hammer groupies who serve as a kind of Greek chorus, and the singing minions of Bad Horse, but the three leads are where the meat of the project is. All three are perfect for their roles, and their singing voices all fit the piece in various ways. Fillion's is unadorned but serviceable, and Day's is sweet and sadly delicate, even melancholic. Harris, being the most experienced singer of the bunch, has the most dextrous and impressive voice. In one of the best songs, "My Eyes", Day and Harris sing their own verses as Billy sees the downward spiral of his life, and therefore his psyche, while Penny sings about being hopeful for the future and how she can't believe the good luck of her life. Their voices begin to twist and slither in and out of each other in a beautiful mix of the light and dark of the characters and their worldviews. It's the most impressive song, even if, for me, the finale song "Everything You Ever" is the most powerful.

Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog is brisk, delightful, funny, and surprisingly emotional. The finale has moved me to tears many times. This is one of my most watched movies/shows/whatever. I've seen it over and over again and doing all this writing about it has made me want to go watch it again. You can find it many places, my library had a DVD, but it's also uploaded multiple places on Youtube, in its entirety. Do yourself a favor and check it out.