Revision as of 01:28, 3 August 2015 editTropicAces (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users, Pending changes reviewers98,824 edits →Critical response: ReformattingTags: Mobile edit Mobile web edit← Previous edit | Revision as of 18:27, 4 August 2015 edit undoSpaghetti07205 (talk | contribs)574 edits update lead to be more reflective of the article.Next edit → | ||
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The plot features a completely new character, Patience Phillips, taking the Catwoman name, and viewing the traditional Catwoman as a historical figure. | The plot features a completely new character, Patience Phillips, taking the Catwoman name, and viewing the traditional Catwoman as a historical figure. | ||
The film |
The film received extremely negative reviews; with most critics panning its acting and divergence from source material. It was also a ], grossing only $82 million on a $100 million production budget. | ||
==Plot== | ==Plot== | ||
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===Critical response=== | ===Critical response=== | ||
⚫ | ''Catwoman'' received a 9% approval rating on ] based on 179 reviews with the consensus stating: "Halle Berry is the lone bright spot, but even she can't save this laughable action thriller". The film holds a 27% approval rating on ] and a user score of 3.6, indicating "generally unfavorable" reviews.<ref>http://www.metacritic.com/movie/catwoman</ref> The film appeared on the list of ]'s most hated films. He criticized the filmmakers for giving little thought to providing Berry "with a strong character, story, supporting characters or action sequences," but his primary criticism came from the failure of the film to give the audience a sense of what her character experienced as she was transformed into Catwoman. He rather referred to it as being a movie "about Halle Berry's beauty, sex appeal, figure, eyes, lips and costume design. It gets those right."<ref>{{cite web|last = Ebert|first = Roger|date = 2004-07-23|url = http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040719/REVIEWS/40719004/1023|title = Catwoman|publisher = Chicago Sun-Times|accessdate = 2007-03-11}}</ref> In their ] Ebert and his former co-host ] both gave the film a thumbs down. Film critic ] of the ''Arizona Republic'' suggested that Berry should possibly give back her 2001 ] as a penalty.<ref>{{cite web | last = Muller | first = Bill | archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20060321171822/http://cityguide.pensacolanewsjournal.com/fe/movies/reviews/catwoman.asp | archivedate= 2006-03-21 | title = 'Catwoman' provides less than purr-fect performances | work = Gannett News Service | date = 2004-07-23 | accessdate = 2008-06-18 | url = http://cityguide.pensacolanewsjournal.com/fe/movies/reviews/catwoman.asp }}</ref> | ||
On ], ''Catwoman'' has a rating of 9%, based on 179 reviews, with the site's critical consensus reading, "Halle Berry is the lone bright spot, but even she can't save this laughable action thriller". On ] the film has s rating of 27 out of 100, based on 35 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".<ref>http://www.metacritic.com/movie/catwoman</ref> | |||
⚫ | The film appeared on the list of ]'s most hated films. He criticized the filmmakers for giving little thought to providing Berry "with a strong character, story, supporting characters or action sequences," but his primary criticism came from the failure of the film to give the audience a sense of what her character experienced as she was transformed into Catwoman. He rather referred to it as being a movie "about Halle Berry's beauty, sex appeal, figure, eyes, lips and costume design. It gets those right."<ref>{{cite web|last = Ebert|first = Roger|date = 2004-07-23|url = http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040719/REVIEWS/40719004/1023|title = Catwoman|publisher = Chicago Sun-Times|accessdate = 2007-03-11}}</ref> In their ] Ebert and his former co-host ] both gave the film a thumbs down. Film critic ] of the ''Arizona Republic'' suggested that Berry should possibly give back her 2001 ] as a penalty.<ref>{{cite web | last = Muller | first = Bill | archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20060321171822/http://cityguide.pensacolanewsjournal.com/fe/movies/reviews/catwoman.asp | archivedate= 2006-03-21 | title = 'Catwoman' provides less than purr-fect performances | work = Gannett News Service | date = 2004-07-23 | accessdate = 2008-06-18 | url = http://cityguide.pensacolanewsjournal.com/fe/movies/reviews/catwoman.asp }}</ref> | ||
===Accolades=== | ===Accolades=== | ||
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Revision as of 18:27, 4 August 2015
This article relies largely or entirely on a single source. Relevant discussion may be found on the talk page. Please help improve this article by introducing citations to additional sources. Find sources: "Catwoman" film – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (February 2015) |
Catwoman | |
---|---|
Theatrical release poster | |
Directed by | Pitof |
Screenplay by | John Brancato Michael Ferris John Rogers |
Story by | Theresa Rebeck John Brancato Michael Ferris |
Produced by | Denise Di Novi Edward McDonnell |
Starring | Halle Berry Benjamin Bratt Lambert Wilson Frances Conroy Alex Borstein Sharon Stone |
Narrated by | Halle Berry |
Cinematography | Thierry Arbogast |
Edited by | Sylvie Landra |
Music by | Klaus Badelt |
Production companies | Village Roadshow Pictures Di Novi Pictures Frantic Films Maple Shade Films |
Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 104 minutes |
Countries | United States Australia |
Language | English |
Budget | $100 million |
Box office | $82.1 million |
Catwoman is a 2004 American superhero film directed by Pitof and stars Halle Berry, Sharon Stone, Benjamin Bratt, Lambert Wilson, Frances Conroy and Alex Borstein. The film is loosely based on the DC Comics character of the same name, who is traditionally an anti-heroine and love interest of the superhero Batman.
The plot features a completely new character, Patience Phillips, taking the Catwoman name, and viewing the traditional Catwoman as a historical figure.
The film received extremely negative reviews; with most critics panning its acting and divergence from source material. It was also a box office bomb, grossing only $82 million on a $100 million production budget.
Plot
Artist and graphics designer Patience Phillips (Halle Berry) is a meek people pleaser whose only support is her best friend Sally (Alex Borstein). Patience works for a cosmetics company called Hedare Beauty, which is ready to ship a new skin cream called Beau-Line, that is able to reverse the effects of aging. However, as Patience visits the factory where it is being manufactured, she overhears a discussion between the scientist, Dr. Ivan Slavicky (Peter Wingfield), and Laurel Hedare (Sharon Stone), the wife of company owner George Hedare (Lambert Wilson); speaking about the dangerous side effects from continued use of the product. Laurel's guards discover Patience and are ordered to dispose of her. Patience tries to escape using a conduit pipe, but the minions have it sealed and flush Patience out of it, drowning her. Lying washed up on the shore and lifeless, Patience is mysteriously brought back to life by an Egyptian Mau cat, who appeared at her apartment earlier, and from that moment on develops cat-like abilities.
With the help of the Mau's owner, eccentric researcher Ophelia Powers (Frances Conroy), who tells her that Egyptian Mau cats serve as messengers of the goddess Bast, Patience understands that she is becoming a "catwoman" reborn with abilities that are both a blessing and a curse. Wearing a mask to disguise her identity, Patience stalks the night as Catwoman seeking the answers to who killed her and why. Eventually, her search (which involves finding Slavicky murdered and being accused of it) leads her to Laurel. She asks Laurel to keep an eye on her husband, to which Laurel agrees. However, when Patience confronts George (who is at an opera with another woman), he reveals he knows nothing about the side effects. The police arrive and Catwoman escapes. Later on, Laurel murders her husband for his infidelity, and admits to killing Dr. Slavicky as well for his attempts to take the product back to formula. Laurel contacts Catwoman and frames her for the murder and is taken into custody by the police, but not before Laurel reveals the side-effect of the cosmetic product: discontinuing using it would make the skin disintegrate while continued use would make the skin as hard as marble. She also plans to release the Beau-line in the market the following day.
Patience slips out of confinement and confronts Laurel in her office, revealing that Laurel is the one responsible for Patience's death. During the fight, she scratches Laurel's face, and Laurel nearly plummets to her death when she falls out of a window, grabbing onto a pipe for her life. Laurel sees her face in a reflection and is horrified by her skin's rapid disintegration, fails to grab hold of Patience's outstretched arm and falls to her death. Though Patience is cleared of any charges made against her regarding the deaths of Dr. Slavicky and the Hedares, she chooses to continue living outside the law enjoying her new-found freedom as the mysterious Catwoman.
Cast
- Halle Berry as Patience Phillips / Catwoman
- Benjamin Bratt as Detective Tom Lone
- Sharon Stone as Laurel Hedare
- Lambert Wilson as George Hedare
- Frances Conroy as Ophelia Powers
- Alex Borstein as Sally
- Michael Massee as Armando
- Byron Mann as Wesley
- Kim Smith as Drina
- Peter Wingfield as Dr. Ivan Slavicky
- Berend McKenzie as Lance
- Ona Grauer as Sandy
- Landy Cannon as Randy
- Michael Daingerfield as Forensics Cop
- Benita Ha as Forensics Technician
- James Lloyd Reynolds as Doctor
- Jill Krop as Newscaster
- Dagmar Midcap as Television Reporter
- Gordon Sharplin as Nightclub Patron
- Ryan Robbins as Bartender
- Peter Williams as Detective
- Janet Varney as Party Girl
Missy Peregrym appears uncredited as the Hedare factory computer monitor image (Beau-line graphics model), depicting the bad effects of the beauty product. A photograph of Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman in Batman Returns can be seen among the pictures that Ophelia shows to Patience.
Production
Development
With Warner Bros. moving on development for Batman Forever in June 1993, a Catwoman spin-off was announced. Michelle Pfeiffer was set to reprise her role from Batman Returns. Tim Burton became attached as director, while producer Denise Di Novi and writer Daniel Waters also returned. In January 1994, Burton was unsure of his plans to direct Catwoman or an adaptation of The Fall of the House of Usher. On June 16, 1995, Waters turned in his Catwoman script to Warner Bros., the same day Batman Forever was released. Burton was still being courted to direct. Waters joked, "turning it in the day Batman Forever opened may not have been my best logistical move, in that it's the celebration of the fun-for-the-whole-family Batman. Catwoman is definitely not a fun-for-the-whole-family script." In an August 1995 interview, Pfeiffer re-iterated her interest in the spin-off, but explained her priorities would be challenged as a mother and commitments to other projects.
—Director Pitof"I checked out some to see how Catwoman is treated in the comics, to make sure that our Catwoman was in the same vein. But I didn't want to be too influenced by the comic book, because the whole point of the movie is to be first a movie, and to be different. Different from "Batman," different from "Spider-Man" - this movie has its own identity. I tried to find my sources more in the character of Catwoman herself. To me, the Catwoman we're filming now with Halle Berry is in the continuity of the others. She's different than Michelle Pfeiffer's character, different from anybody who's played Catwoman in the past. But she is Catwoman. When you look at the differences between the comic book Catwoman and the TV or movie Catwoman, they're all different-but there's a feeling that they are all Catwoman. Halle brings her own personality, through her attitude and through the outfit."
The film labored in development hell for years, with Ashley Judd set to star as the lead as far back as 2001, but eventually dropped out of the role. Nicole Kidman was also reportedly considered for the role after Judd stepped out of the project, until Halle Berry was chosen and the movie was released.
Catsuit
The catsuit was designed by Academy Award-winning costume designer Angus Strathie together with Halle Berry, director Pitof, and the producers. Strathie explained, "We wanted a very reality-based wardrobe to show the progression from demure, repressed Patience to the sensual awakening of a sexy warrior goddess."
Choreography and training
Berry started intensive fitness training with Harley Pasternak in June of 2003. Choreographer Anne Fletcher was brought in to develop Catwoman's signature style and teach Berry how to think like a cat. She also oversaw Berry's training in the Brazilian martial art style Capoeira. Berry was trained to crack a whip by coach Alex Green.
Filming
The movie was filmed on 4th Street in downtown Los Angeles, California and Winnipeg, Manitoba as well as Lions Gate Film Studios, Vancouver, British Columbia, and Warner Brothers Burbank Studios, 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California. Most of the cats cast in the film came from animal shelters throughout California.
Release
The film had its theatrical premiere in the United States on July 19, 2004.
Home media
The film was released on DVD and VHS on January 18, 2005. The film was released on Blu-ray on September 8, 2009.
Reception
Box office
Catwoman earned a gross of $40,202,379 in North America and $41,900,000 in other territories for a worldwide total of $82,102,379 against a production budget of $100 million.
The film grossed $16,728,411 in its opening weekend playing in 3,117 theaters, with a $5,366 per-theatre average and ranking #3, next to the titles The Bourne Supremacy and I, Robot. The biggest market in other territories being France, Spain, Japan and Mexico where the film grossed $5.2 million, $4.05 million, $3.05 million and $2.9 million.
Critical response
Catwoman received a 9% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 179 reviews with the consensus stating: "Halle Berry is the lone bright spot, but even she can't save this laughable action thriller". The film holds a 27% approval rating on Metacritic and a user score of 3.6, indicating "generally unfavorable" reviews. The film appeared on the list of Roger Ebert's most hated films. He criticized the filmmakers for giving little thought to providing Berry "with a strong character, story, supporting characters or action sequences," but his primary criticism came from the failure of the film to give the audience a sense of what her character experienced as she was transformed into Catwoman. He rather referred to it as being a movie "about Halle Berry's beauty, sex appeal, figure, eyes, lips and costume design. It gets those right." In their onscreen review Ebert and his former co-host Richard Roeper both gave the film a thumbs down. Film critic Bill Muller of the Arizona Republic suggested that Berry should possibly give back her 2001 Academy Award as a penalty.
Accolades
This film received seven Golden Raspberry nominations in 2005, including Worst Supporting Actress (Sharon Stone), Worst Supporting Actor (Lambert Wilson) and Worst Screen Couple (Halle Berry and either Benjamin Bratt or Sharon Stone). It won in the categories of Worst Picture, Worst Actress (Halle Berry), Worst Director (Pitof), and Worst Screenplay. Berry arrived at the ceremony to accept her Razzie in person, with her Best Actress Oscar for Monster's Ball in hand, and said: "First of all, I want to thank Warner Brothers. Thank you for putting me in a piece of shit, god-awful movie... It was just what my career needed."
Video game
Main article: Catwoman (video game)A video game was published by Electronic Arts UK and Argonaut Games. Featuring the voice talents of Jennifer Hale, the game varied from the film's plot and received negative reviews much like the film.
See also
References
- ^ Catwoman at Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2009-11-15. Cite error: The named reference "mojo" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- "6 Stupid Superhero Movie Recasts". Omglists.com. Retrieved 2011-01-31.
- Michael Fleming (1993-06-17). "Dish". Variety. Retrieved 2008-08-14.
- Michael Fleming (1993-07-22). "Another life at WB for Catwoman and Burton?". Variety. Retrieved 2008-08-14.
- Michael Fleming (1994-01-13). "Seagal on the pulpit may be too much for WB". Variety. Retrieved 2008-08-14.
- Judy Sloane (August 1995). "Daniel Waters on Writing", Film Review, pp. 67-69
- Tim Egan (1995-08-06). "Michelle Pfeiffer, Sensuous to Sensible". The New York Times.
- Director Pitof on Catwoman. Superhero Hype
- "Ashley Judd Talks 'Catwoman'". Killer Movies. 16 April 2001. Retrieved 28 July 2012.
- "Film Notes: Ashley Judd Takes on 'Catwoman'". ABC News. 3 April. Retrieved 28 July 2012.
{{cite news}}
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(help) - "Halle Berry As... Catwoman?". The Daily Haggis. 15 March 2003. Retrieved 28 July 2012.
- "Nicole Kidman Offered 'Catwoman' Role". Killer Movies. 5 February 2003. Retrieved 28 July 2012.
- http://www.cinemareview.com/production.asp?prodid=2600
- http://www.cinemareview.com/production.asp?prodid=2598
- http://www.cinemareview.com/production.asp?prodid=2599
- http://www.cinemareview.com/production.asp?prodid=2598
- http://www.cinemareview.com/production.asp?prodid=2598
- http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0327554/locations?ref_=ttfc_sa_5
- http://www.cinemareview.com/production.asp?prodid=2599
- "Weekend Box Office for July 23-25, 2004". boxofficemojo.com. IMDB. Retrieved January 29, 2015.
- "Catwoman International Box office". boxofficemojo.com. IMDB. Retrieved January 29, 2015.
- http://www.metacritic.com/movie/catwoman
- Ebert, Roger (2004-07-23). "Catwoman". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 2007-03-11.
- Muller, Bill (2004-07-23). "'Catwoman' provides less than purr-fect performances". Gannett News Service. Archived from the original on 2006-03-21. Retrieved 2008-06-18.
- "Halle Berry accepts her RAZZIE Award". Golden Raspberry Awards. 26 February 2005. Retrieved 8 July 2013.
- https://twitter.com/jhaletweets/status/486958270251143168
- "Catwoman for Xbox on Metacritic.com". Retrieved 24 July 2012.
External links
- Official site
- Catwoman at IMDb
- Template:Amg movie
- Catwoman at Box Office Mojo
- Catwoman at Rotten Tomatoes
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Preceded byGigli | Razzie Award for Worst Picture 25th Golden Raspberry Awards |
Succeeded byDirty Love |
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