Neil Patrick Harris’ opening number for the 2015 Oscars was a feat to be lauded, no doubt, but as for the rest? Meh.
At least, that appeared to be the popular opinion Sunday night.
The problem, it seemed, was that Harris, a showman that few can compete with, peaked early in the night and struggled with audience interactions. This was especially evident coming off last year’s show, during which host Ellen Degeneres excelled in that area.
It was clear in the show, though, that Harris and the writers were well aware of Harris’ strengths; that’s why magic was integrated into the evening.
One running gag was set up early on, with Harris asking Oscar winner Octavia Spencer, who was seated front row, to keep an eye on a box containing his show predictions. At the end of the show, before Best Picture, he opened the box and revealed a detailed account of the evening.
The delivery fell flat, though, probably due to the fact that the kicker came at the end of an already long show.
