Catwoman (2004)



Catwoman is an iconic villainess/anti-hero from the Batman franchise and DC Universe.

Her real name was changed to Patience Phillips for the 2004 live-action adaptation of the same name.

This version was portrayed by Halle Berry.

Why She's Not Catwoman
Note : This page will only apply to the 2004 version of Catwoman, since the actual Catwoman is likeable.
 * 1) Okay, let's get the cat out of the bag (pun completely unintended), she's completely unfaithful to the source material like various other superheroines, as she looks and acts nothing like her original comic book counterpart in any way.
 * 2) *Her citizen name was changed from Selina Kyle to Patience Phillips for no reason at all.
 * 3) *She has a weird origin story, as she died and was brought back to life by an alley cat. The writers were clearly trying to imitate what happened to Selina in Batman Returns, but the way they did it, makes it sound downright unrealistic. Also, the original Catwoman was just a regular vigilante who just happened to have incredible gymnastic skills. There's no need to give her supernatural cat-like powers.
 * 4) *Not to mention all the constant hissing, getting off to catnip, and eating unhealthy amounts of tuna. We get it, she has cat powers, no need to shove it down our throats! Also, why didn't she go to a doctor about that?
 * 5) *Overall, she feels more like a parody of Catwoman, rather than the real deal.
 * 6) Her plastic, fake-looking catsuit looks like it came from Marvel's Judas Traveller's costume designs and other 90's costumes.
 * 7) She makes a lot of unnecessary cat puns -- and not the funny and smart kind either, like the kind Spider-Man would make-- the annoying and irritating kind.
 * 8) The film tries way too hard to make us sympathize with Patience by making her a clumsy nerd wearing brush-sized clothes who makes Tobey Maguire's Peter Parker look normal in comparison.
 * 9) Rather than fighting a villain from the comics, she fights a movie-exclusive character who happens to lead a cosmetics company releasing an indestructible makeup that can damage the skin if it's not continually applied. That kind of stuff would be outlawed by the FBI, as Honest Trailers pointed out, meaning Catwoman could literally sit her own movie out and she would still win.
 * 10) She gets a crazy, nonsensical basketball scene with way too many cuts to make out what's happening. [Cringe in all its awkwardness here.]

Redeeming Qualities

 * 1) Halle Berry genuinely seems like she's doing the best she can with her role, nobody can make all this awkwardness work. In fact, she famously accepted her Razzie Award for the film and admitted the movie was bad. That takes serious courage.
 * 2) She has rather impressive whip skills.
 * 3) Her next film literation in The Dark Knight Rises thankfully avoided the problems that the 2004 film had done.