It's time for a new and totally new unexpected movie review!
Something I've been really wanting to put on this blog!
A Superhero-drama-comedy-musical-vlog Whedon-esque movie.
Directed by Joss Whedon
Release date 2008
Genre Musical-superheroic-drama-tragedy-vlog (What? Isn't that perfectly correct and fitting?)
Official website: http://www.drhorrible.com/
Country USA
In 2008, Joss Whedon made this revolutionary "little" short flick.
It was released in 3 parts as a Youtube vlog. Joss Whedon and his loyal crew (family, Nathan Fillion and co.) created something able to challenge modern TV productions!
It was massively followed by fans during its 3-parts release and was such a phenomenon it even won awards!
Then it was released as a short independent movie on DVD alongside its Original Soundrack on various formats...
But let's go back just a little...
What is "Dr. Horrible"?
It’s not a death ray or an icebeam, That’s all Johnny Snow...
Dr. Horrible is a mad scientist. An evil comic book villain, type of mad scientist.
His plans are always defeated by his archenemy and local Superhero Captain Hammer.
Along comes a lot of other interesting and original characters, such as our two main characters' love interest Penny, evil sidekick Moist, the mysterious unseen figure (until the final act) of the big evil villain Bad Horse and many more...
The story, told in classical tragedy-like 3 acts, introduces us to our main characters and what is at stake in the first part. Then the story develops in the second and problems happen (Captain Hammer happens). Finally all the action culminates in the 3rd final act, resolution and curtains. End.
(trying not to spoil to much if you haven't seen it)
It is a musical, and it follows perfectly the classic tragedy patterns. Yeah, this means a bad ending but with resolution for our main mad scientist.
Dr. Horrible wants to become a major league villain and join Bad Horse's gang, but to achieve that goal he will have to prove himself and defeat his archenemy..
Whedon's fans will be glad to found some familiar faces along their usual Whedon-esque themes and quality in this little web-series/movie.
Nathan Fillion is our egoistic, egocentric self-centered superhero. Ex-Captain Mal Reynolds is pretty epic as the super-powered hero.
Neil Patrick Harris, known for you sitcom-lovers in How I Met Your Mother, makes quite a fantastic evil scientist! Most of this epic story's song rest on his shoulders, so I'm glad he's such a great singer! Comics fans (such as me) loved him Batman: The brave and the bold as musical villain Music Meister as well (check it out!) and he will appear as Nighting's voice in Batman: Under the red hood soon (minus the songs this time).
Felicia Day, playing the love interest for both characters was already well-known for episodic vlogs-nerd in The Guild (I haven't seen that, so..), another Youtube-kind of series, so she brought along this kind of needed experience with her.
Captain Hammer.
So how does it work as a movie/series?
Pretty darn' good! Our main guy, Dr. Horrible goes through a lot on his journey to Evilness.
But it's really in the songs that this sort of project shines~
The music, the lyrics... I don't wanna sound like a fanboy, but it's perfect! Just perfect!
Probably the songs I've heard the most, even in the short time that happen since it was released!
They songs are amazing, well song from all the cast. Hear it once, you'll be whistling the tunes for a while, hear it twice, you'll be humming the lyrics forever!
The solo-songs are neat and thanks to the actors and the ones who wrote them, they're really catchy!
The group-songs are my favorite :'3
Listen to "So they Say" you'll be laughing...
Listen to "Brand New Day" and you'll be following Dr. Horrible's hate and vengeful plot...
Then finally "Everything You Ever", Dr. Horrible won...at what price?!
The plot is pretty clever, and what you'd expect, and nothing less, from Whedon & co.
It's not only a musical/vlog/tragey. It's also a comic book story! It really analyse a comic book super villain's point of view (his hatred, his aspirations and need for power, even the loss that would "create" him in the end).
Dr.Horrible easily created a fanbase, and I'm not surprised of that!
It's a story that really resonates with every nerd/comic book geek!
Let's see that... Its a nerd's dream.
It reflects his aspiration for power, comic book character-like status!
The girl he would dare approach..
But we're in a Joss Whedon story, and such power/status comes at a price...And a sacrifice would be needed.. Dr. Horrible would end up with the girl...or the power/status? You guess it!
OVERALL, it's a fantastic work!
I may be a total Dr. Horrible fanboy by now... but it's highly recommanded!
Try it, it's free anyway XD
Watch it... but then, if you'll like it, support Joss Whedon!
Buy the DVD...the OST...
The DVD alone is worthwhile for the commentary track alone. You see, there is a classic commentary track of course, but there's also a much needed and fantastic complentary side-show. The Musical Commentary track! A fantastic innovation for musicals, I demand a musical commentary for every future musical!! Scrap that, I demand a musical commentary for everything from now on, or at least future Joss Whedon-stuff!
Dr. Horrible is an intelligent work and well done use of modern mediums.
It's something you, yes you, should watch just for curiosity if you're not that interested.
You like comics? Follow stuff on youtube? Fan of Whedon? Nathan Fillion-geek? Watch it!!
I give it:
3 / 3 Films!
