Let me now express my undying love and devotion for the inimitable Neil Patrick Harris. Along with Jason Bateman, Harris is one of the great comedic actors in Hollywood and a genial, self-deprecating guy. You can’t help but love him. He rescues every project he touches, except for this one; it’s so damn good that it doesn’t need saving.

THE FILM

Created solely as an internet-only experience, DR. HORRIBLE’S SING-ALONG BLOG concerns one Dr. Horrible, a mad scientist hell-bent on ruling the world and winning the heart of the shy girl at the laundrymat, Penny (Felicia Day). Unfortunately his arch-nemesis, Captain Hammer (Nathan Fillion), has plans to stop him and steal the girl of his dreams at the same time. Oh, and they break into song from time to time, since it’s a musical.

Although a low budget internet film, creator/director Joss Whedon has sprinkled enough life and love on this to make the production values part of its charm. The songs are unbelievably good throughout, and this is coming from someone who despises musicals.

In something like this, the performances matter most. And in this regard, Whedon has made some terrific casting choices. Harris is in top form here, mugging just enough to keep things lighthearted; some scenes recall the charismatic showmanship of Tim Curry in ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW, to which this film owes a debt of gratitude. Day projects both innocent warmth and a sly sense of humor as Penny. And matching Harris’ ham is Fillion as the egotistical superhero. The three are excellent together, each showing pitch-perfect comic timing to go with their perfect-pitch singing.

Whedon’s experiment in web-based entertainment was a brave one that deserves to succeed. It’s a marvelous and original piece of entertainment.

EXTRAS

There are several looks behind the scenes at the making of various facets of production. These reveal a close production full of imagination and energy. Unlike many Hollywood productions, this seemed refreshingly free of ego and diva attitudes. Instead, the entire thing feels like a home movie made by very talented ten year olds … not a bad thing at all.

OVERALL

Though short (42 minutes), DR. HORRIBLE’S SING-ALONG BLOG is outstanding entertainment that will leave you with a smile on your face. Anyone interested in the future possibilities of internet media creation should enjoy this as well. I heartily recommend it.