I give Dr. Horrible five out of five stars. For those not in the know, the story is about Dr. Horrible's (Neal Patrick Harris) efforts to get a membership in the Evil League of Evil (ELE), but it's complicated by his love for the sweet Penny (Felicia Day), who has fallen for Horrible's nemesis, Captain Hammer (Nathan Fillion). I can't think of a another movie offhand that delivered a tragedy with such comic flair (If Tim Burton's Batman Returns had been a musical, and had a few more daylight scenes, it might have come close).
On the face of it, it's an exercise in cynicism. The hero, Hammer, is really the awful guy, and the villain is the good guy. The commentaries in the special features are long, knowing winks. It's all just a joke, especially for sophisticates in the film and www worlds. But it escapes pure cynicism because the creators and actors clearly loved their characters, the story, the music, the very act of putting on this act.
So if you do watch the DVD, don't forget the special features, which are as clever and hilarious as the show. Those applications sent in by Dr. Horrible fans to be in the ELE warmed my heart--it's good to know there's so many people out there who revel in intelligent silliness.
You can watch Dr. Horrible online here.
