The 2004 film “Catwoman” has gone down as one of the worst films in history. When I watched it as a young kid, I thought it was awesome. I still do, and I’m nearly 20. I just can’t work out why film critics hated it so much. I get that film critics usually love the kind of artsy, snobby film that nobody else likes, so Catwoman seems a bit mainstream for them. However, loads of average viewers also hated it. A quick look at the Amazon reviews shows the same kind of puzzlement about why it’s viewed as being awful. What could it possibly be?
I suppose the acting is a little bit cringe-worthy and predictable. Halle Berry stars as “Catwoman”/Patience Phillips, and she is very charismatic. I couldn’t keep my eyes off her, to be honest, I think I fell in love with her a little bit. Acting legend Sharon Stone also plays villainous Laurel Hedare, probably one of the more unpredictable characters in this movie. Benjamin Bratt is Patience Phillips’ boyfriend, and the first to discover the truth about her secret alter ego.
As for the storyline, some say it’s weak. As a nine year old (I know, it’s rated a 12, I shouldn’t have been watching) and even today I don’t think that’s the case. It’s no weaker than your average superhero film, although granted it’s no Avengers. Catwoman’s quest for justice on the evil business empire she once worked for is entertaining enough, and if nothing else, the action scenes make up for it. They’re pretty epic. These days, they’re mostly all about guns and weapons, but Catwoman uses only her whip and her feet. Never before had I seen such awesome skills, kickboxing combined with elegant dance moves. Her agility in navigating the rooftops of the city is totally mesmerising, and the background music really complements it. It’s one of those scenes that makes you wish you were a cat-based superhero.
So why was it rated so badly? Many other films have predictable storylines, and they don’t get deemed as one of the worst films in history. Some actors are downright terrible, but this film had top-class actors. There wasn’t much depth to their roles, but then how much character development is there in Die Hard? Clearly I’m biased, but the only reason I can think this film went down so terribly is that it took Catwoman completely out of Batman’s world. All the names are changed, it takes place in a completely different city, and her storyline is completely different. I’ve not seen any of the Batman films, so it’s probably wrong for me to comment, but I enjoyed the film.
I also enjoyed the computer game they made, based on the film. These days the graphics aren’t the best, but as someone who also loves the Tomb Raider series, I loved it. You can actually be Catwoman and use all her cool moves on bad guys! It’s quite a short game, but it sticks pretty closely to the film. I promise you’ll enjoy it.
So if you have a weekend free, immerse yourself in the world of Halle Berry’s Catwoman.
Image from: http://www.dccomics.com/galleries/catwoman-2004-photo-gallery
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