May 7, 2010
"Catwoman" Movie Review
"Catwoman" Movie Review The Movie Reporter By Philip Boatwright www.moviereporter.com Starring Halle Berry, Sharon Stone, Benjamin Bratt. Created by Bob Kane ("Batman"), Catwoman has always been a bad pussycat, for years being the alluring nemesis for the Caped Crusader. But now she has her own purrrfect movie (franchise) where she now uses might for right. After discovering crooked goings-on in a cosmetics company where she creates graphic designs, mousy Patience Phillips (Berry) is, by means of a mystical twist of fate, transformed into a woman with the strength, speed, agility and ultra-keen senses of a cat. With her newfound prowess and feline intuition, Patience becomes Catwoman, a sleek and stealthy creature balancing on the thin line between good and bad. Dressed in tight black leather and high-heeled boots, the purring pussycat goes up against veteran femme fatale Sharon Stone, while avoiding capture by a confused cop suitor. A mixed bag for me. The positives: it is the best film adaptation of a comic book since the first installment of "Spiderman." The cinematography, special effects and exuberant directorial style all add up to flashy filmmaking #150; which is ideal when transferring animated books to the silver screen. What#146;s more, it doesn#146;t take itself too seriously, it#146;s not as dark and brooding as "Batman," and it#146;s genuinely witty. The film completely avoids objectionable language and does not glorify wrongdoing. Although the lead character walks a thin line between law and disorder, she ultimately does right and even shows regard for life #150; even that of the antagonist. Ms. Berry is (here I go again) purrrfectly cast as the sleek, leather-clad superheroine. As the frisky feline who foils felons and feds alike, she is vulnerable, believable and, sexy. Oh, come on, it#146;s Halle Berry, it#146;s Catwoman, it#146;s tight leather, it#146;s bound to be sexy. That brings us to the downside, which really depends on your view of sensuality in movies. The main character becomes one who lives by her own rules, a crusading vigilante who answers to no one. However, a main element of that empowerment is her sexuality. Berry has been gifted with extraordinary looks and manages to exploit them here, both comically and sensually. One view could be that it#146;s all in good fun, not to be taken seriously. Okay, so we get a lot of backside shots as she saunters away from the camera. It#146;s all meant, you should excuse the term, as cheeky humor. It#146;s as amusing as it is erotic. That said, her voluptuous carnality can#146;t be denied. If you feel there is too much sexuality in movies, then you may wish to avoid "Catwoman." PG-13: (I caught no harsh or profane language; the mysticism of cat power is so farfetched that it shouldn#146;t be taken anymore seriously than the effect bats have on Bruce Wayne#146;s alter ego; some gay humor from a male friend of the lead who lusts over the handsome cop as he enters the room; there is one sexual situation that implies the lead and her new suitor have slept together, but there are no sexual situations; lots of comic book action with martial arts battles, cat fights, if you will, some killings; there are several tense moments that could spook little ones). Video Alternative: "The Phantom." A well-made, tongue-in-cheek salute to the Saturday serials of the #145;30s and #145;40s, based on the comic strip about a purple-costumed hero of the jungle fighting the forces of evil. Aided by his wolf, Devil, and his white horse, Hero, he seeks justice for the good guys and destruction for all evil doers. Lots of laughs for adults and much imagination-inciting adventure for the little ones. But beware, it's jam-packed with derring-do and violence. For further information, visit www.moviereporter.com . "Know Before You Go" reg;Philip Boatwright, Editor Film/Video Reviews from a Family Perspective, Email: moviereporter@sbcglobal.net . Published by C. C. Publications, 835 Northstar Ct., Tonganoxie, KS 66086

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