History Film / Catwoman

This film is the victim of MisaimedMarketing... or, perhaps, just misaimed titling. Or maybe it was even deliberate to hook people in. People were attracted to the film because they were hoping to see the Catwoman of the ''Batman'' comics - but Halle Berry's character is not her in any way, shape, or form. Since the film is an action picture with supernatural elements, there weren't enough bright spots to overcome the ire that the bait-and-switch caused among Batman (and Catwoman) fans; it couldn't even claim originality due to heavily borrowing elements from ''TheCrow'', the 1989 ''Film/{{Batman}}'', and ''Film/{{Daredevil}}'' (the romantic basketball game was practically lifted verbatim).

This film is the victim of MisaimedMarketing... or, perhaps, just misaimed titling. Or maybe it was even deliberate to hook people in. People were attracted to the film because they were hoping to see the Catwoman of the ''Batman'' comics - but Halle Berry's character is not her in any way, shape, or form. Since the film is an action picture with supernatural elements, there weren't enough bright spots to overcome the ire that the bait-and-switch caused among Batman (and Catwoman) fans; while it definitely wasn't as bad as some discontented veiwers would have you believe, it was certainly no classic. And it couldn't even claim originality due to heavily borrowing elements from ''TheCrow'', the 1989 ''Film/{{Batman}}'', and ''Film/{{Daredevil}}'' (the romantic basketball game was practically lifted verbatim).

This film is the victim of MisaimedMarketing... or, perhaps, just misaimed titling. Or maybe it was even deliberate to hook people in. People were attracted to the film because they were hoping to see the Catwoman of the ''Batman'' comics, especially considering the recent awesome reboot of the Batman movies - but Halle Berry's character is not her in any way, shape, or form. Since the film is an action picture with supernatural elements, there weren't enough bright spots to overcome the ire that the bait-and-switch caused among Batman (and Catwoman) fans; while it definitely wasn't as bad as some discontented veiwers would have you believe, it was certainly no classic. And it couldn't even claim originality due to heavily borrowing elements from ''TheCrow'', the 1989 ''Film/{{Batman}}'', and ''Film/{{Daredevil}}'' (the romantic basketball game was practically lifted verbatim).

** SharonStone playing a woman whose skin is like marble due to a side affect of the skin cream she markets.

A film from 2004 starring HalleBerry. It has [[AllStarCast a lot of star power]], but disappointed most of the people who saw it -- especially the {{Batman}} fans.

Halle Berry's character, Patience Philips, is a shy secretary with few friends who works at the Hedare cosmetics company; she is killed [[spoiler:by her boss' scheming wife Laurel]] after she learns that the company is developing a youth serum with side effects considerably worse than anything sold over-the-counter should have. Patience is subsequently brought back to life and given special, cat-like abilities by Midnight, an Egyptian Mau she earlier encountered and attempted to rescue. Now she must stop [[spoiler:Laurel]] and come to terms with the changes brought on by her abilities as Catwoman.

This film is the victim of MisaimedMarketing... or, perhaps, just misaimed titling. Or maybe it was even deliberate to hook people in. People were attracted to the film because they were hoping to see the Catwoman of the ''Batman'' comics - but Halle Berry's character is not her in any way, shape, or form. Since the film is an action picture with supernatural elements, there weren't enough bright spots to overcome the ire that the bait-and-switch caused among Batman (and Catwoman) fans; the negative word-of-mouth sunk the film. It couldn't even claim originality due to heavily borrowing elements from ''TheCrow'', the 1989 ''Film/{{Batman}}'', and ''Film/{{Daredevil}}'' (the romantic basketball game was practically lifted verbatim).

* OldShame: For Miss Berry in years to come:
-->''"First of all, I want to thank WarnerBros. Thank you for putting me in a piece of shit, God-awful movie[...] It was just what my career needed."''
** The context for that quote: She said it at the [[http://www.agonybooth.com/video328_Catwoman_2004_Halle_Berry.aspx Razzies]] as she accepted her award for "Worst Actress". The entire time, she was holding her Oscar for ''Monster's Ball'' in the other hand. Publicly reminding people that she is usually a good actress; the movie was just THAT bad.

Halle Berry's character, Patience Philips, is a shy secretary with few friends who works at the Hedare cosmetics company; she is killed [[spoiler:by her boss' scheming wife Laurel]] after she learns that the company is developing a youth serum with side effects [[{{Understatement}} considerably worse than anything sold over-the-counter should have]]. Patience is subsequently brought back to life and given special, cat-like abilities by Midnight, an Egyptian Mau she earlier encountered and attempted to rescue. Now she must stop [[spoiler:Laurel]] and come to terms with the changes brought on by her abilities as Catwoman.

Halle Berry's character, Patience Philips, is a shy secretary with few friends who works at the Hedare cosmetics company; she is killed [[spoiler:by her boss' scheming wife Laurel]] after she learns that the company is developing a youth serum with side effects considerably worse than anything sold over-the-counter should have. Patience is subsequently brought back to life and given special, cat-like abilities by Midnight, an Egyptian Mau she earlier encountered and attempted to rescue. Now she must stop [[spoiler:Laurel]] and come to terms with the changes brought on by her abilities as Catwoman.

* FountainOfYouth: With a twist; continued use deadens the nerves and makes the skin like "marble," but if you ''stop'' using it, [[HighOctaneNightmareFuel your face will decay]].

* ShoutOut: When being educated about the catwomen through time, one of the pictures thrown down is from ''BatmanReturns'', a shot of Michelle Pfeiffer's Catwoman.

* StealthSequel: To the ''Batman'' films, notably, ''BatmanReturns''. Her origin is identical to the one played by Michelle Pfeiffer, the Catwoman persona is said to be a LegacyCharacter, and in the pictures of former "Catwomen", we see Michelle Pfeiffer's original character.

* FountainOfYouth: With a twist; if you stop using it, [[HighOctaneNightmareFuel your face will decay]].

* YouFailPhysicsForever: The scene where Catwoman short circuits the speakers in a club by spraying them with water is a pretty egregious example. Doing this in reality is a [[HoistByHisOwnPetard sure fire way to get electrocuted yourself]].

* IGotBetter

** The context for that quote: She said it at the Razzies as she accepted her award for "Worst Actress". The entire time, she was holding her Oscar for ''Monster's Ball'' in the other hand. Publicly reminding people that she is usually a good actress; the movie was just THAT bad.

* SpyCatsuit: Patience wears one at first. She later ditches it for a [[{{Stripperiffic}} somewhat less tasteful]] outfut.

[[caption-width-right:300: [[FanService This poster succinctly shows all the attractions of the movie]].]]

* BackFromTheDead

* CatGirl
* CatsAreMagic
* CatsHateWater
* ConspicuousCG

* DesignatedGirlFight

* InNameOnly
* {{Irony}}: It's entirely possible that this bomb of a movie saved Halle's career rather than sinking it. After her Oscar win, Halle had developed a reputation for being a raging diva. However, when this movie tanked, it served as a kick in the gut and brought her back down to Earth.
** [[GracefulLoser Her accepting the Golden Raspberry award in person didn't hurt, either]].
* MayContainEvil

** The context for that quote: She said it at the Razzies as she accepted her award for "Worst Actress". The entire time, she was holding her Oscar for ''MonstersBall'' in the other hand. Publicly reminding people that she is usually a good actress; the movie was just THAT bad.

* ShallowLoveInterest: Tom Lone. Really, what else do we know about him other than he's in love with Patience?
** He's a cop. Although even that may not be saying much...

* SpyCatsuit

* {{Stripperiffic}}: Much of the hatred from the movie, at least at first, stemmed from the fact that Berry's costume looked less like the real Catwoman and more like some kind of porno/DragQueen version thereof.
** The making-of material reveals (no, not visually) that the top to the costume had a tendency to pop off -- so often that it actually became annoying to everyone on the set.

* YouFailPhysicsForever: The scene where Catwoman short circuits the speakers in a club by spraying them with water is a pretty egregious example. Doing this in reality is a [[HoistByHisOwnPetard sure fire way to get electrocuted yourself]].

-->''"First of all, I want to thank WarnerBrothers. Thank you for putting me in a piece of shit, God-awful movie[...] It was just what my career needed."''

* ThemeSongPowerUp

* ShoutOut: When being educated about the catwomen through time, one of the pictures thrown down is from BatmanReturns, a shot of Michelle Pfeiffer's Catwoman.

* AnimalThemedSuperbeing: This version of the character fits Type I of this trope unlikr her Type II comic counterpart.

This film is the victim of MisaimedMarketing...or, perhaps, just misaimed titling. People were attracted to the film because they were hoping to see the Catwoman of the ''Batman'' comics -- but Halle Berry's character is not her in any way, shape, or form (except {{in name only}}). Since the film is an action picture with supernatural elements, there weren't enough bright spots to overcome the ire that the bait-and-switch caused among Batman (and Catwoman) fans; the negative word-of-mouth sunk the film. It couldn't even claim originality due to heavily borrowing elements from ''TheCrow'', the 1989 ''Film/{{Batman}}'', and ''Film/{{Daredevil}}'' (the romantic basketball game was practically lifted verbatim).

** [[GracefulLoser Her accepting the Raspberry award in person didn't hurt, either]].

* OldShame: For Miss Berry:

** The context for that quote: She said it at the Razzies as she accepted her award for "Worst Actress". The entire time, she was holding her Oscar for ''MonstersBall'' in the other hand.

* TheProblemWithLicensedGames: Yes, there was a video game made of this. ''XPlay'' said it was like ''PrinceOfPersia'', "if ''PrinceOfPersia'' '''sucked'''." Gametrailers.com had a review saying that it was so bad, it will make you want to drown kittens. Gaming magazines in general were already dreading it in previews and poking fun at EA's attempts to hype the game. Yes, their very ''press releases'' were SnarkBait.