Critic Reviews

Dollhouse is less about the ninja kicks and witty banter than it is about instant transformations, and about making the audience care about a character who's likely to behave differently every time we see her. That Dushku mostly pulls this off is a happy surprise, as is Dollhouse, which has survived "Firefly"-like trials of its own to get this far.

The shows are fun and exciting, Mr. Blow, perfect for a stay-at-home Friday night, having a few guys over for beers, or recording and watching when you wake up Saturday afternoon, after all that hard partying.

Combining intelligent layers of mystery with sly dialogue and a steady flow of action, Whedon has crafted a provocative, bubbly new drama that looks as promising as anything to hit the small screen over the course of the past year.

There is genuine drama in Dollhouse--or, at least, all-engaging narratives of action-adventure.

Dushku plows into her role with gusto. I've seen three episodes of this strange, mesmerizing show, and it has grown on me.

There are caveats, but they would trouble me more if the creator were someone other than Whedon.

Good, dirty fun.

All those ingredients make for a stew that, initially anyway, needs salt....Having seen two more promising later episodes, I say give Dollhouse time. And in the meantime, enjoy the set, the so-called dollhouse.

Although Whedon infuses Dollhouse with an impressively detailed story line and social structure as well as nifty production values, the show lacks something for viewers to grab onto.

Even as Dollhouse sounds like other TV shows and movies, it is also utterly strange, its premise literally ridiculous and intriguingly metaphorical.