Plot Details: This opinion reveals minor details about the movie's plot.
I’m still trying to figure out where Catwoman was in this movie. All I saw was Halle Berry in a cat-like outfit (or something representing a cat) but never did I actually see Catwoman at all. Anyone well-versed in comic book lore will know that Catwoman is the female adversary and sometime love interest to Batman. Selina Kyle is a whip-carrying cat burglar and one of the best thieves to ever live. None of that was ever featured or mentioned in this movie version at all.
This 2004 Catwoman movie starring Halle Berry was doomed from the very beginning by ignoring its roots. The only thing in common this film version of the character has to its comic book counterpart is the name that they share between them. I’m actually surprised DC Comics let director Pitof and Warner Brothers get away with murder.
How Many Lives Does a Cat Have Again?
Berry plays Patience Phillips, a mousey woman working at a cosmetics factory. One night she overhears a devious plot by her boss to sell a defective beauty product to the public. The product makes the skin look younger but will eventually wear off and decay the skin if the product isn’t applied within a certain time. Shady business, if you ask me. Obviously, Patience pays the price with her life for having stumbled across this information. Luckily for her she has a guardian angel in the form of a cat.
Earlier in the day, she tried rescuing a cat from a ledge not realizing it didn’t need to be saved. Now this very cat has returned the favour by giving her life once again. Yes, it’s a magic cat that grants her supernatural cat-like powers. Apparently, she is not the first woman to be granted with such a gift as there have been many before her in the past that have received the same thing, thanks to revelation of one Ophelia Powers.
With her newfound powers and cat-like abilities, Patience sets out to right a wrong inflicted upon her. But her investigation hits a couple of obstacles in the form of the police and the real mastermind behind the defective product. Even her new powers may not be enough to outwit all of them.
From Kitty Pryde to the Kitty Litter
I was actually surprised that Halle Berry agreed to do this movie. It was a golden opportunity to play Catwoman especially following in the footsteps of both Michelle Pfeiffer from Batman Returns and Eartha Kitt, one of the women to play Catwoman in the 1960’s Batman television show.
Berry already had a good thing as she played another comic book character, Storm from the X-Men movies. Yet surprisingly, as much as she was underutilized and lacked personality in those movies, she was overly cartoonish in this one.
Cutting all ties from the Batman universe was a huge mistake. Even the slightest reference to Pfeiffer’s Catwoman, as minuscule as it was, did not help matters at all. I do admit that even though the supernatural aspect and Egyptian connection with this Catwoman was interesting, it was not what comic book fans or even those familiar with the character wanted to see. If anything, the existence of this movie is a slap in the face for those expecting to see something about Gotham City, Batman and the like, or at least a connection.
The cast including Berry, Benjamin Bratt and Sharon Stone is an interesting one, but even with their combined talents couldn’t do anything to salvage this monstrosity.
This movie had some potential but the poorly devised script made this story quite unbearable to watch. By all means, this movie should have fared much better than it did but the direction was all wrong. Jennifer Garner’s Elektra did a much better job of emancipating the character from Daredevil to stand on her own two feet, albeit not much better than Catwoman. But at least it made reference to the source material.
The Egyptian mysticism and supernatural flavour gave this movie a very unique touch. The idea of passing down this power to worthy women also makes the concept quite interesting. The biggest problem was attaching the name Catwoman to it. Calling it something different might have given this movie a better chance of survival. I guess a cat can’t always land on its feet.
Patience Philips is a shy reserved young woman who wants to be an artist but instead is a designer for an advertising company. She is mousy and lackin...More at Family Video
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