***1/2 - Clocking in at 43 minutes (about the length of a one-hour TV show minus commercials) this three-part series originally broadcast via the internet and subsequently released on Blu-ray is a strange amalgam of comedy movie and comedy musical. I am not generally fond of humor being placed in a musical form (for example, I think Adam Sandler is the spawn of Satan), but the fact that this was written, created and directed by Joss Whedon and his brothers, Jed and Zack, at least offers the promise of it being less annoying then “The Hanukkah Song”. The premise is that Neil Patrick Harris (aka Doogie Howser, M.D.) plays a rather incompetent super villain named Dr. Horrible who is trying to gain membership in the Evil League of Evil (great name) while simultaneously attempting to impress a girl he likes at the Laundromat. He is repeatedly foiled in both schemes by his arch nemesis - and the city’s favorite local superhero - Captain Hammer (played by the always funny Nathan Fillion). The format is roughly half regular movie-style dialogue with the other half being some marginally entertaining musical numbers. The musical aspect of this, while certainly funnier than most musical humor attempts, drags this down a little as such a great cast and writing team could probably have nailed a real winner with just a regular short film or TV show.
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