by Matt Bird

Created on: April 19, 2010

That's the plan, dah dah, rule the world, dah dah, you and me, dah dah, any day...

Whoops. Sorry.

Well, not really. It's tough to get a good showtune out of your head, and if there's one thing Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog is full of it's catchy songs. You might not expect as much from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Firefly creator Joss Whedon, but if there's one thing Mr. Whedon has demonstrated time and time again it's the flexibility of his creative mind.

Masterminded during the major Hollywood writer's strike that brought the television and movie industries to a standstill, Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog is a three-part tragicomedy about the supervillain known as, you guessed it, Dr. Horrible. Eager to build a name for himself and earn a spot in the Evil League of Evil, Dr. Horrible plots to build a freeze ray and use it to commit some dastardly deeds - but only so long as he's not tripped up by his cocky nemesis, Captain Hammer.

But that's only part of Dr. Horrible. In his day-to-day life he's just Billy, a quiet, average guy who occasionally does his laundry - and, at the same time, fantasizes over the girl of his dreams Penny. He doesn't even have the backbone to speak to Penny properly, though over the course of the short movie they strike up a chummy relationship. And herein lies to meat and potatoes of Dr. Horrible's character, as his personal and professional lives mix when Penny is rescued and summarily wooed by Captain Hammer.

With a name like 'Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog' it stands to reason that this is a goofy flick. And, let's face it, it is. The Evil League of Evil? Whedon wasn't even trying to make the thing serious. But that's where it shines, really, as Whedon accentuates the lame names with smart writing, awesome characterzation and lots of really catchy songs. And, just as you're starting to feel good about it all, tragedy manages to strike and evil Dr. Horrible turns out to be much more human than your average ne'er-do-well.

The cast is perfect. Spot-on. Neil Patrick Harris has the vocal chops to carry the lead as Dr. Horrible without any support from his cast, yet gets it anyway with web icon Felicia Day as Penny and the muscular Nathan Fillion as Captain Hammer. Their singing skills aren't put to the test too much, but the songs are all so clever and funny that you won't care.

It's remarkable how good this little movie is considering it a) was bankrolled completely by Whedon and b) came during a writer's strike. Jump on YouTube, type in Dr. Horrible and get ready for a unique, unforgettable experience that is marred only by its length. You'll wish it was much, much longer.

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