Catwoman DVD Review:

CATWOMAN
Starring: Halle Berry, Benjamin Bratt, Sharon Stone, Lambert Wilson, Frances Conroy and Alex Borstien

Director: Pitof

Running Time: 104 mins

Certificate: 12A

Patience Price (Berry) was a timid, insecure woman who just went about her job as a graphic designer for a cosmetic firm, hoping she would never be noticed. But when she discovers that the beauty product that she is trying to promote has extremely dangerous side effects, her employers don’t just make her lose her job but they want to make sure she loses her life was well. Left for dead, Patience washes up on the riverside and is discovered by a group of cats. She awakes the next morning feeling very different, almost cat-like. She feels confident, agile and full of revenge. Patience Price may have died that night but Catwoman was born.

As Marvel’s superhero movies hit heady heights with the likes of Spider-Man and The X-Men, can Warner Bros and DC Comics try to steal some of there thunder? With Catwoman the answer is a definite no!

In a move that stinks of pure desperation, Warner Bros try and reinvent the character for the new millennium but just end up with something that you’d expect to see in a litter tray. This translation of Catwoman has nothing to do with the comic books, the character from Batman Returns or even the 60s TV show, to the point that creator Bob Kane must be spinning in his grave. For this version we find that the Catwoman is a phenomena that has occurred quite often throughout history and it is all due to an Egyptian cat called Midnight (I kid you not), who finds someone who is worthy and about to die. She then gives them a “gift”. When they awake, they have all the abilities of a cat such as increased senses, great agility and they are able to lick their own crotch (only joking).

That is the origin of the character but the problem is that the rest of the plot isn’t much better. Sharon Stone and Lambert Wilson play Laurel and George Hedare, the owners of a cosmetics firm that is about to release the best ever anti-aging cream to ever hit the market. Of course the cream is addictive and once you stop using it your face starts to disintegrate. The pair will do anything to cover this fact up even commit murder. So it is up to Catwoman to save the day and that is pretty much it.

The cast do try their best with the subject matter but they could chase that mouse all day and they’d never catch anything worth shouting about. Halle Berry is a good actress who has experience in the genre but you have to ask the question of what is going on with her career at the moment. Ever since winning the Oscar she has shied away from the more challenging roles and has attempted to scratch her way into blockbuster superstar league but this is not the way to do it. She needs to get involved with some serious projects with some respected actors and directors, if she is ever going to stop this career nosedive. Benjamin Bratt is the love interest of the piece and has so little to do that he might as well have been a scratch post. Sharon Stone hams it up abit too much and Lambert Wilson is basically playing the same character he did in the Matrix sequels.

Catwoman is another example of why comic book movies got a bad reputation all those years ago with the Batman & Robin debacle. The special effects are second rate and completely obvious, the direction from former special effects supervisor Pitof is pitiful and the Catwoman outfit, while slightly sexy, is just plain stupid. Warner Bros are just trying to milk as much as they can out of the current superhero trend but it looks like too many black cats crossed their paths whilst making this movie.

Star Rating = *

PICTURE & SOUND

Presented in 2.35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen with a Dolby Digital 5.1 surround soundtrack, this is a good transfer. Catwoman’s dark, nighttime work is vividly brought to life with a very sharp picture. The sound quality is also good, especially during the fight and nightclub scenes.

BONUS FEATURES

The Many Faces of Catwoman (29.44 mins)

The screen faces of Catwoman, Eartha Kitt, Julie Newmar, Lee Meriwether, Adrienne Barbeau, Michelle Pfeiffer and Halle Berry are joined by Batman Returns director Tim Burton, comic book author Suzan Colon, DC Comics VP Paul Levitz, comic book writer Joseph Loed, artist Alex Ross, DC Comics editor Bob Schreck, DC Comics VP Dan Didio, Catwoman producer Denise Di Novi, Catwoman choreographer Anne Fletcher, Catwoman costume designer Angus Strathie and stars Adam West and Benjamin Bratt to take you through the history of Catwoman from comics to TV and onto the silver screen. Hosted by Eartha Kitt, this interesting featurette covers everything to do with Catwoman from her origins in the Batman universe, through the 60s cult TV show, the Animated Series and her movie incarnations.

Behind-the-Scenes Documentary (13.03 mins)

Director Pitof, producers Denise Di Novi and Edward L. McDonnell, choreographer Anne Fletcher, costume designer Angus Strathie and stars Halle Berry, Sharon Stone, Benjamin Bratt, Lambert Wilson and Frances Conroy take you behind the scenes of Catwoman. Investigating the character’s transformation, her look, fighting style and her love life we get to see what went into updating Catwoman for the new millennium.

Additional Scenes (6.25 mins)

Five deleted or alternative scenes that show more of the relationship between Patience and Tom Lone, a confrontation with some dogs and what looks like the original ending to the film. Without introductions, a commentary or even titles we don’t really know what we are watching or why these scenes were removed.

Theatrical Trailer (0.56 mins)

Your chance to watch the teaser trailer for the movie

OVERALL

A very poor comic book movie gets a decent treatment on DVD. The featurette are very good, especially the one that looks into the history of the character but the absence of a commentary track takes away some of the value. For fans of the movie (if there are any) this is not a bad DVD presentation from Warner.

DVD Star Rating = * *

Jamie Kelwick

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