[Please see link below for full review]

DR. HORRIBLE’S SING-ALONG BLOG succeeds on every level it appears to tackle. It works artistically, comically, dramatically, musically and as proof that a production made straight for the Internet can succeed in a big way…

…The project is publicly thought of as being the work of Joss Whedon, which is fair, as he not only directed but paid for it, though it is co-written with Zack Whedon and Jed Whedon (brothers of Joss) and Maurissa Tancharoen. There are a multitude of levels here, though to discuss them in much depth would be to start spreading spoilers. It can perhaps be said that the themes deal with how people’s personas evolve (vague, I know, but the best I can do). Dialogue is snappy and often laugh-out-loud, though some lines are wrenching in context, while the lyrics flow organically, often in impressive and informative counterpoint…

…The cast is smashing. Harris, who has a song-and-dance past on stage in addition to his now-Emmy-nominated role on HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER and that previous DOOGIE HOWSER fame (not to mention the show-stopping appearances in the HAROLD AND KUMAR comedies), has a gorgeous voice and a marvelously expressive face as the embodiment of every painfully smart guy with a plan, a case of nerves and a sense of incredulity at how well the good-looking self-confident doofuses do in the world. Fillion as said doofus is fearlessly silly and funny as a man of steel with a brain of wheat, while Day (who has her own Web series, THE GUILD) is effortlessly sweet and empathetic as the good-hearted Penny. Fans of Whedon’s previous work will note lots of erstwhile collaborators behind the scenes in the credits (with some old writing colleagues showing up in on-camera cameos).

This is independent production at its finest. DR. HORRIBLE’S SING-ALONG BLOG is, contrary to its title, really pretty wonderful.

• External Link: www.ifmagazine.com

[Be sure to check out the full article at the link below]

High-profile names and studios have been trying to conquer the Web for several years now—Sony, Disney, Warner Brothers, MySpace and Michael Eisner’s Tornante company have all created operations dedicated to churning out online programming. Last year, “thirtysomething” creators and industry heavies Marshall Herskovitz and Ed Zwick released the online show “quarterlife” which even enjoyed a one-episode stint on NBC. But not a single one of these industry efforts has managed to find a mainstream audience. Kids in Nebraska making YouTube movies behind the barn have won more viewers. Really, I’m not joking.

But Dr. Horrible looks to have a different fate. The first of the show’s three 15-minute episodes went live Tuesday at midnight and immediately, international viewers were screaming that they couldn’t watch it (the Hulu video player they were using didn’t work overseas). And those of us who tried to pay $1.99 to download the show from iTunes couldn’t do that either. Still, those were the least of “Dr. Horrible’s” problems: by the time U.S. viewers woke up yesterday, so many people were clamoring to watch the show that its web site crashed completely, sending the makers scrambling to find more bandwidth…

…

Even with the stars, the big crew, and permission to use the Universal Studios backlot (eerily, the location where they shot was completely destroyed by June fire), Dr. Horrible manages to retain a casual, low-stakes feel. Not quite YouTube-low, thankfully, but neither is there the slightest evidence of corporate fingerprints—the Minus Touch.

“We had nobody to check in with, said Tancharoen. “There was nobody giving us notes. There were no rules—and there still aren’t. That’s why the Internet is cool.”

Harris remembered a scene during the 7-day shoot when the sun had gone down and there was no longer enough light to get the shot. “Someone just grabbed a flashlight and shined it on my face,” he said. They got it in one take.

“We had the freedom to behave like professional amateurs,” he said. “And that sort of worked into the vibe” of the show.

A key element of that vibe is what Whedon called “the silly.” …

• External Link: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com

[For full review see link below]

Kirstin from E! Online reports after attending the Dr. Horrible Press Screening…

It’s not much of a tease, but you’d be tight-lipped too if you’d been at last night’s premiere screening for the cast and crew, where Joss asked us reporter types to defy our natural busybody tendencies and help protect the story of the show. (Seriously, can anyone say no to Joss?)

So what I can tell you is that Dr. Horrible is an hour-and-fifteen-minute-long show shot specifically for the Web, and it will make you want to jump through the screen and hand Neil, Joss and Nathan a lifetime supply of Emmys, Webbies, Grammys or whatever it is you give to guys who like to sing about being superheroes and supervillains. I totally loved it…

… Not only is the music fiercely catchy, I can also tell you that Felicia sings (and looks) like an angel; Nathan is hilarious and vocally strong; and to the shock of absolutely no one, including the isolated Yanomamo tribe in Brazil, Neil Patrick Harris just kills it. In general, there’s a catchy quality to the lyrics (being full, as they are, of funny rhymes and smart metaphors) that is definitely reminiscent of “Once More, With Feeling.” For the record, Barney himself testifies that the music sticks with you, no matter who sings it. ”Before we started I [got] some scratch tracks that [the writers] had sung already, and I couldn’t stop listening to them…I think the songs are just great.”

• Full Review: www.eonline.com

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/119344.html