Before the love-to-hate-it phenomenon of “Madame Web,” the original critically panned superhero cult classic was “Catwoman.” And now, 20 years later, lead star Halle Berry is detailing just how powerful film critics were when it came to the film’s grossings.
Berry told Entertainment Weekly for the anniversary of the feature that it took years for audiences to “have the freedom to discover” “Catwoman” on their own, without reviews clouding perspectives. In turn, “Catwoman” has become a sleeper hit, despite — or rather, maybe because of — its Razzie wins.
“Critics have so much power. When a movie comes out, if critics say it’s not worth watching and smash it, people listen,” Berry said. “Critics aren’t talking about it now, and people have the freedom to discover it on their own without a reminder of what critics said about it. Younger generations don’t know what was said back then. They discover it on their own and enjoy its merits without being mind-led to think a certain way.”
“Catwoman” director Pitof pointed to how the film was “ahead of its time” as starring the first Black female superhero of the era onscreen.
“People weren’t ready for that kind of movie,” Pitof said. “Now, after some key movements, we have more diversity and inclusiveness. Younger audiences see things differently and are much more open. Back then, comic book fans hated the movie because the film didn’t involve Batman; with a new generation, it’s not a problem. They take it as it is.”
Berry admitted that she “didn’t love” the backlash to the film upon its 2004 release. She opted to accept the Razzie Award for Worst Actress and give a now-iconic speech.
“The studio [Warner Bros.] knew what I was going to do at the Razzies. I told them I wanted to take the piss out of it and laugh at it,” Berry said. “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! I wrote [that speech] within an inch of my life. I put a lot of thought into how I could do it in a fun way and let everyone know I didn’t take it that seriously. You can never take away my Oscar, no matter how bad you bash me! If you say I earned it, I’ll take this, too.”
And Berry is proud of the legacy of “Catwoman” in its own way.
“While it didn’t happen at the time for ‘Catwoman,’ I was so thrilled it happened for ‘Wonder Woman’ and Gal Gadot because the goal was to move women into that space,” the Academy Award winner said. “I don’t know if it had an impact, but I believe it was important to try, and it was important to make the movie and push boundaries. Even if it failed and didn’t turn out the way we hoped, we must continue to take chances. We have to try.”
