Catwoman (2004)

Such a frustrating disappointment

People are voting emotionally.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

It's pretty genius when you think about how ballsy it was for Warner brothers to create a whole new character of no relation to the dc comics character. Shame some people just can't accept it as as its own thing , only Catwoman in name. I like when studios try something new and attempt to appeal to a whole new audience that might never pick up a comic book in their lives. For starters, There's something appealing about Halle berry in a leather dominatrix outfit jumping on rooftops in the dark urban landscape of Salt Lake City For me it's a action revenge thriller set in the world of beauty products and dark alleys with a hint of a good r&b score. There's a bit of social commentary in here about the way women are treated in the beauty industry at a certain age or it could be about a women accepting her flaws and becoming free with herself. I'm not ashamed to admit I love Catwoman. For its runtime of nearly two hours I can safely argue I wanted more. The film directed by French visual effects supervisor newcomer Pitof feels like a comic book come to live with its vivid colors and wild editing . Countless times we get insane CG crane shots of the beautiful Salt Lake City and the dark alleys Catwoman prowls . While unnecessary it makes for campy fun considering it was the early 2000s and they didn't know how it was gonna fare with audiences. Plenty of people judge its 100 million dollar budget when they forget Halle was paid 12 million dollars and they made statue figurines and a video game that further added to the budget not to mention the promo they did. So there's the 100 mil everybody complains about

Many people came into the theatres expecting "Catwoman" to be a knock-off f the 1960's "Batman" or a rehash of Michelle Pfeiffer's portrayal of Catwoman from Tim Burton's "Batman Returns". Sadly many critics were left terribly disappointed. Sure it lacked the explosiveness you would find in a summer blockbuster with the cartoon-like action and over-the-top special effects. Sure there were special effects like Catwoman bouncing and climbing over buildings. But the effects are diluted and rubbery like straight out of a video game. However, the emphasis isn't relied upon the special effects. The movie is about the empowerment of women and the incredible handling to show that summer blockbusters can still produce high octane energy regardless of what gender stars in it. Many boyfriends migh take their girlfriends to see this movie only to walk out thinking this film was idiotic. By way of contrast, the female viewers will think otherwise. This movie is dark, brooding and Gothic with a pop cultured thrill ride that has a wide open field for feminism with plenty of doors to break through. Whether intentional or by default, "Catwoman" captivates and manufactures enough to ponder into our ever-changing ways in which we think and to refrain from unraveling. Let's start off small and in a few decades more films like this will come onto our screens. Halle Berry stars as the titular character. However, the film does take the time to explain how she became this mysterious vigilante. When not in costume, she's Patience, a devoted cat fanatic and graphics designer who prints advertising labels for a cosmetics company. Quiet and introverted, Patience lives in a dilapidated apartment with noisy tenants who blare their radios until four in the morning. But she is fair lady who plays it fair game and quietly lives a life hidden by a subtle streak of discontent.Patience is under opposition by a superior named Laurel (Sharon Stone), a supermodel who's many poses makes people's head spin when she enters the fray. Laurel is the co-owner of the cosmetics company that Patience works for along with her husband George (Lambert Wilson). George makes a startling announcement that after devoting her time with the company for over fifteen years, Laurel will be replaced by a much younger model. This was the perfect opportunity for Laurel to vent out that high-spirited outer self while also capturing that inner rage like we would expect after getting laid-off like that. This scene alone tells you everything about Laurel. She doesn't play by the book, she may walk with smiles only designed to fool the public's eyes. "Catwoman" is both slick and stylish in tones. For example, director Pitof focuses the camera on George from a long-distance only to get a shot of Laurel from a close range. It may lack in definition, but it is very tempting. Sure there are long unnecessary scenes where Patience is challenging her cop boyfriend (Benjamin Bratt) as just an excuse for a music video like montage. While at the same times adds nicely to the murky settings to support the rather unorthodox tones this film possesses.In the traditions of the other catwomen of ages past, Patience transforms into Catwoman after she is murdered and was resurrected by a group of felines. They don't just resurrect her, she lives like them. She has developed a liking for sushi, nestling on cushions and hoisting herself up and down on furniture. But the main thing that makes her stand out. She's not a part of our restricted society. She now plays by her own rules, developed a newly discovered self-esteem and now sports a cool cat costume complete with a tail and triangular ears.And this is just the tip of the iceberg. This film was handled well by the screenwriters John Brancato and Michael Ferris along with Pulitzer nominee Theresa Rebeck, as this film celebrates female empowerment, but it also has its drawbacks as well, especially when at times it can be very conflicted in terms of good and villainy. Catwoman is personified as rebellious, independent, confident, Laurel is leaned towards being labeled as evil. But it wasn't like she was voluntarily evil. She was overthrown of her position by her husband's betrayal. She does get some of the best lines in the movie by far.There's no denying that Laurel's character has a certain level of uncertainty within her, but that shouldn't be a liability, but an asset knowing what trauma she's been through. It was bound to happen that Catwoman and Laurel would butt heads but through this good versus evil, we're looking at two strong females who play by their rules and reek of independence from anyone who tries to get in their way."Catwoman" lacks natural vibrations and with a purpose being that she's like a supernatural entity and while Laurel sports a toxic face cream that make her complexion look like marble. The mask makes her lose a sense of feeling. But underneath the masks and concealers, the whole premise of "Catwoman" is that the movie cherishes the positive side of how independence bears no boundaries if used in the rightful perspective. It's truly a remarkable film that was badly misunderstood by the critics. Personally it's a great flick for a rainy day when you need something enlightening. The clash between Laurel's cynical ways and Catwoman's determination will keep you in intrigue. It's worth the watch.

Usually the rating on IMDb is a good guide to a film. Not in this case. I rated the film 8 most probably is a 7 but I wanted to boost the average. I had the film on in the background as background noise but I stopped using my PC and watched the film. It got and kept my attention. All films are easy to pick holes in but if you sit back and go with the flow you will enjoy this film.

The idea of how Catwoman came to be should turn out a good viewing, but how was I wrong! The entire film unfolds as a lengthy music video clip for the choreographed fight scenes with many obvious CGI plans, interspersed with some dramatic takes so it can be called 'a movie'. It is especially the synonymous of 'style over substance', ideal for futile women - who are certainly the target audience of this product. Halle Berry's portrayal of Patience Phillips is acceptable, but as Catwoman she looks more like a ho than a respectable BD character - one can be sexy without being that, as Michelle Pfeiffer.