CATWOMAN (2004)

Directed By: Pitof
Written By: John Brancato, Michael Ferris & John Rogers
Story By: Theresa Reback, John Brancato & Michael Ferris
Based On Characters by: Bob Kane
Cinematography By: Thierry Arbogast
Editor: Sylvie Landra

Cast: Halle Berry, Sharon Stone, Benjamin Bratt, Alex Borstein, Lambert Wilson, Frances Conroy


I’m not sure you really could make a good Catwoman film, But whatever I think is not entirely important when studios decide to make films. So someone decided to make the film finally. I would have thought for a project that was in development for so many years there would have been some good ideas or originality put into it. Unfortunately no Anything else would have been better then this. At different points Ashley Judd and Owen Wilson Were supposed to star in the film together. The film was also supposed to be more of a satire

The nicest thing I can say about this film is that Is that it looks nice, there are some impressive visuals, That maybe if the film had a better script would have matched that and made a decent film. It seems the filmmakers thought they could get by just on the title and a scantily clad ,Halle Berry. They forgot about things such as Plot, Costumes a Good villain.

This was a interesting monumental failure. It seems like the movie tries to make a sexy upgrade to the catwoman suit to entice males to see this film. By casting one of the sexiest women in the world at the time. Then once they lured the men to come and watch the film (Though by the box office tally not too many) then gave them a Feminist Action/Fantasy film. Films that have followed in this fashion have been JENNIFER’S BODY, BARBWIRE. But not on as grand a scale as this film considering it was a offshoot from the Previous BATMAN films with none of the original team returning.

It is also worth noting that this film seems to exist in a different world then Gotham City or the batman universe of the movies. In this film Catwoman is really patience prince who works at a cosmetic company who is killed but seemingly brought back to life with the agility of a feline and a new attitude towards life she is not the neurotic shy girl she once was. When she decides to go out in her alter ego to take on crime she is fearless, though in life she just is taking more chances. She also draws the interest of a police detective investigating the Catwoman case who wants to romance her. While this is all going on Catwoman finds her nemesis in the head of the cosmetic company she is working at. That she witnessed the dumping of toxic waste in the first place is what got her killed. When she finds out a bigger conspiracy at the company it is a lead up until the finale after that.

The film has a strangeness to it as it is set in a modern world yet it feels like a 1950’s film with it’s sets, Closed off mentality and dated culture and way of life that goes over the top in it’s feel of plasticity. Even the melodrama that the film puts forth feels fake, So that you never really worry about the outcome of any character or situation. Plus it doesn’t help that Sharon Stone seems to be having a ball Camping it up as the villain. Who doesn’t come into the film majorly until the 3rd act. She is so quickly dispatched that you wonder why she was here in the first place. She isn’t even that memorable She isn’t even much of a challenge.

The film at times is too jokey, Supposedly on purpose to be taken seriously. Almost like it was meant to be a screwball comedy with effects instead of a Superhero film.

I hope after this film that Halle Berry would pick better projects. But she seems to have stayed on a course of picking worse and worse projects. Though happily once in awhile she does pick better ones like THINGS WE LOST IN THE FIRE. After all she is one of the most successful African-American Actresses out there.

This project would have benefited by a full work-up. Maybe a female director and Screenwriter. There touch could have finally created a successful female comic book hero and franchise. Something for girls to watch and feel proud of, A significant heroine.

GRADE: F