Costume
The catsuit was designed by Academy Award-winning costume designer Angus Strathie together with Berry, director Pitof, and producers Di Novi and McDonnell. Strathie explained that they wanted a "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 2003. Choreographer Anne Fletcher instructed Berry in cat-like movement, and in the Brazilian martial art style Capoeira.
Home media
Catwoman was released on VHS and DVD on January 18, 2005, and later on Blu-ray on September 8, 2009.
Reception
Box office
Catwoman grossed $40.2 million in the United States and Canada, and $42.2 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $82.4 million against a production budget of $100 million, becoming a box office flop.
The film grossed $16.7 million in its opening weekend at 3,117 theaters with a $5,366 per-theatre average, ranking third behind 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, while topping the Bulgarian weekend listing.
Critical response
Catwoman was widely panned by critics upon release.
On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, 8% of 195 reviews are positive, with an average rating of 3.2/10. The site's consensus reads: "Halle Berry is the lone bright spot, but even she can't save this laughable action thriller." On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 27 out of 100, based on 35 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable" reviews. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale.
San Diego Metropolitan Magazine praised Berry's appearance in the costume and the film's action sequences but criticized the script and narrative coherence, finding the actors struggling "to make sense" of the material and calling it one of the worst films of the year. Kirk Honeycutt of The Hollywood Reporter compared the film to Showgirls (1995), suggesting it might gain traction as a cult favorite for its camp value.
Roger Ebert included the film in his list of most hated movies. In his review, he criticized the lack of depth in Berry's character and the film's failure to explore her transformation, stating that the focus was instead on "Halle Berry's beauty, sex appeal, figure, eyes, lips, and costume design." On At the Movies, both Ebert and co-host Richard Roeper gave the film a "thumbs down".
In a gender studies critique of female-led action films, Caroline Heldman argued that Catwoman portrays female agency and power as derivative of sexualization, using the feminist concept of the "male gaze" as a point of contention about the film. Bill Muller of The Arizona Republic commented that Berry should "give back her Academy Award" for participating in the film.
In July 2024, marking the film's 20th anniversary, IndieWire described Catwoman as a "superhero cult classic" and a "sleeper hit". Director Pitof defended the film, stating that it was "ahead of its time" and that audiences were unprepared for a superhero film led by an African American woman. He noted that younger viewers have received the film more positively, in part due to shifts in inclusivity and expectations within the genre.
Accolades
Berry accepted the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actress in person at the 25th Golden Raspberry Awards for her performance in Catwoman. Arriving on stage with her Academy Award for Best Actress for Monster's Ball (2001) in hand, Berry delivered a humorous and self-deprecating acceptance speech, describing Catwoman as a "god-awful movie" and joking, "It was just what my career needed."
In a later interview, Berry revealed that Warner Bros. was aware of her plans to attend the ceremony and supported her decision to approach it with humor. She stated, "I don't think it's a God-awful film, but I was at the Razzies, so I had to do what they do; I shit on it because they shit on it!" She also noted the speech was carefully written to show she did not take the criticism too seriously, adding, "You can never take away my Oscar, no matter how bad you bash me!"
|-
| Worst Director
| Pitof
|
|-
| Worst Actress
| Halle Berry
|
|-
| Worst Supporting Actor
| Lambert Wilson
|
|-
| Worst Supporting Actress
| Sharon Stone
|
|-
| Worst Screen Couple
| Halle Berry and either Benjamin Bratt or Sharon Stone
|
|-
| Worst Screenplay
| John Brancato and Michael Ferris, John Rogers
|
|-
| rowspan="7" |Stinkers Bad Movie Awards
| rowspan="7" |2005
| Worst Picture
| rowspan="4" |Warner Bros.
|
| rowspan="7" |
|-
| Least "Special" Special Effects
|
|-
| Most Intrusive Musical Score
|
|-
| Worst Screenplay
|
|-
| Worst Director
| Pitof
|
|-
| Worst Actress
| Halle Berry
|
|-
| Worst Supporting Actress
| Sharon Stone
|
|}
Video game
A video game based on Catwoman was developed by Argonaut Games and published by Electronic Arts UK. The game features voice acting by Jennifer Hale as the titular character. Although it draws inspiration from the film, the game's plot differs significantly. Upon release, it received negative reviews like the film it was based on and holds a low rating on Metacritic.
Cancelled animated film
In 2003, Warner Bros. approached Batman: The Animated Series producer Boyd Kirkland to write a script for a direct-to-video Catwoman animated feature intended as a tie-in to the film. Although the script was completed, the project was ultimately cancelled following the film's critical and commercial failure.
See also
- List of films based on DC Comics publications
- List of 21st century films considered the worst