Reviewer's Bias*
Loves: Fun superhero movies
Likes: Grace Helbig, Hannah Hart
Dislikes: The concept of a YouTuber
Hates: Catering to Millennials

The Movie
At the risk of sounding like an old man concerned about the integrity of my grass, i have to admit that i would likely trip over a YouTube star without recognizing them. Only a select few have tiptoed into my worldview, thanks largely to their intrusion into traditional media, like appearances on @midnight. Most of them quickly prove why they are better off in short-form content, mainly because once you get beyond talking about themselves, their abilities diminish. A few, like Grace Helbig and Hannah Hart (as well as their frequent collaborator Mamrie Hart) have shown to be capable of something more, which has led to Helbig and Hart donning the capes of Sid and Marty Kroft's ‘70s superheroes Electra Woman (Helbig) and Dyna Girl (Hart).

You needn't know anything about the original show to appreciate this new film. In fact, it might be better if you know nothing, because this is a very different Electra Woman and Dyna Girl. While there are definitely touches that reference the ‘70s version, this edition of the heroes is very much a Millennial update. The women, who start off in the original spandex costumes of their foremothers, are crimefighters seeking notice the old-fashioned way: social media! But when they "go viral" following a well-watched adventure, they are drawn into a world of big money and big expectations that threatens to tear the team apart, since Dyna Girl believes in being heroes, while Electra Woman wants to be a star. The whole thing feels very much like a metaphor for the world of YouTubers, complete with a convention for fans, as heroes without much ability become big stars making big money. It all serves to bum out Dyna Girl, who'd be very happy doing her thing back in Ohio.

A mysterious villain emerges though, which kicks off the third act, but it's very much an uninspired, if unexpected twist lacking in much set-up at all, aside from one bit of clever comic book-style plotting. Much like a great joke about expectations late in the game, the ending here doesn't deliver, piling on more gags when a genuine plot had been attempted and sits unserviced. Perhaps this progression fits more in line with Helbig and Hart's style, but it doesn't follow through for the story, which is just kind of over, at a scant 80 or so minutes. It's then that you look back and realize not much of anything happened aside from a lot of conversations (which makes sense, since the film was originally a series of webisodes, though it's been given a rather seamless edit into a movie.)

Of course, many of those conversations involve Helbig and Hart, and are thus quite enjoyable. When it's not shoehorning in more Millennial references about Snapchat and Uber (which sadly just likely feel shoehorned to the oldsters watching) the film has a fun sense of humor, going meta repeatedly to fine effect. If you enjoy the duo's videos on YouTube, you'll undoubtedly enjoy them here, even if their randomness and wackiness is toned down a bit here, in deference to the plot. It's unfortunate that there wasn't more superheroing though, considering how fantastic the new costumes look (perhaps taking cues from Batgirl's 2014 functional redesign.) The upcoming Captain Marvel movie has its work cut out for it in trying to outdo Helbig's outstanding look here.

The DVD
Electra Woman & Dyna Girl arrives on one DVD, which is packed into a standard-width keepcase. The disc offer a static, anamorphic widescreen menu with options to play the film, select scenes, adjust the subtitles and check out the extras. There are no audio options, but subtitles are available in English, English SDH, Chinese-Simplified, Chinese-Traditional, French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish and Thai.

The Quality
The anamorphic widescreen transfer looks good in terms of the color, which is appropriate and reasonably vibrant, the level of fine detail and the black levels, which combine for a pleasing image, but there's a good deal of distracting artifacts throughout, resulting in a great deal of pixelation all across the film. If the disc could have got a handle on this issue, it would have been an impressive-looking presentation.

The Dolby Digital 5.1 track is the better half of the A/V team, delivering an enjoyable experience, with clear dialogue in the center channel, some solid atmospherics and score boost in the surrounds and a strong presence in the low-end that sells the super-powered sound effects. The mix also utilizes some discrete positioning to sell an off-screen moment well. No complaints here with this active soundfield.

The Extras
A surprising number of extras are included on this disc, though many are brief. It all starts however with a feature-length commentary by Helbig and Hart. Less an informative lecture than a giggly chat with a couple of buddies, the track includes a lot of narration, a lot of praise for their co-stars and a lot of discussion about the comfortability of their costumes, all powered by the duo's friendship. You won't really learn much about the production, as the effect is more like what it would be like to watch the film alongside the pair.

"Making of Electra Woman & Dyna Girl" (5:16) is essentially the video version of the commentary, though it is wall-to-wall on-set footage, so you get to see what went into the shooting of several scenes, including the effort required to dress the main heros.

The 3:!3 "Inside Creative Masked Management" is a faux profile on the crimefighters' agent and his agency, from the movie's superhero-analog for the entertainment industry site Deadline. It's an attempt to wring more jokes from the concept of a superhero agency, but it's a bit weak, with the biggest gag--a run of insulting nicknames for the lead agent--falling flat. There's also the super-quick (54 seconds combined) "CMM: The Superhero Agency" and "Dan Dixon: CMM Super Agent" , with Electra Woman and Dyna Girl explaining what Creative Masked Management does, mainly by saying Beyonce in different, amusing ways.

In this same short, viral-friendly vein is "Megaline: The Source for Celebrity News" (:28), where they awkwardly attempt to promote the site; "Everybody Loves Plant Man" (:27), obviously shot before the character's name was changed; and "There's No Sidekick Here" (:20), all of which capitalize on the energy between the pals.

"Electra Car for Sale" (1:46) is a lo-fi attempt to sell the heroes' rust-bucket car, which is loaded with Helbig and Hart's trademark punnery. Fans will get a kick out of it.

"Making the Movie Poster" (2:35) is a look at a photoshoot to promote the film. In addition to posing for all the key art, there's a peak at some high-end black and white shots they did, as well as some homages to the classic pairing of Lucille Ball and Vivian Vance. There's also a brief peek at some alternate title treatments.

"Grace and Hannah at San Diego Comic-Con" (12:27) is a Nerdist-produced chat at the Petco Park-set convention off-shoot Conival from 2015, hosted by Dan Casey. Hart and Helbig talk about the film, show fans some sneak preview images and answers some questions from the audience. This is probably the most informative of any of the extras, but still maintains the sense of fun the pair are known for.

The Bottom Line
The chemistry between Helbig and Hart is the key to this movie, as their goofy brand of comedy provides the glue for the disparate elements blended together over 81 minutes. Though the film betrays its origins as a web series through its dependence on dialogue, it cuts together cleanly without an episodic feel, and looks and sounds like a legitimate movie, establishing the pair as stars capable of emerging from the din of YouTube into something more substantial. The presentation here, including a decent spread of extras (heavy on the H&H) is pretty good, and makes it well worth a look (but not something to be shared with younger viewers). The distinct lack of Mamrie Hart is a real disappointment though. (Perhaps in the sequel?)

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*The Reviewer's Bias section is an attempt to help readers use the review to its best effect. By knowing where the reviewer's biases lie on the film's subject matter, one can read the review with the right mindset.