5 Reasons Why 'Catwoman' (2004) is So Bad It's...Good?

Flashback to summer of 2004. Catwoman just came out and 16-year-old me is trying to rush my mom and my siblings to walk faster in the movie theater so we can get a good seat. My inner nerd and my sudden Halle Berry obsession were both waiting to be nourished from this film, along with so many anticipations and expectations (most of them, which still haven’t been met from this movie, and sadly never will). It’s hard to believe that my 16-year-old self enjoyed Catwoman so much to the point that I saw it again the next day.

Yes, this movie may be recognized as one of the worst comic-based film adaptations in history, but there are some painstakingly enjoyable and not-so-enjoyable takeaways from Catwoman worth unpacking. Let's look back and count the things (warning: spoilers) that make Catwoman (2004) so bad it's...good?

1. How Patience Got Her Groove Back

What's the first thing you do after you have been brought back to life from an actual death experience? You grab all the black leather fits you can find, rip it to shreds, and throw on the most outlandish belt accessories. Finally, you get a pair of scissors and give your hair a makeover. Remember: you can’t exact revenge on your enemies without the classic “let me speak to your manager” hairdo.

2. So Catwoman is Basically Saving the World from an Evil Empire of…Corrupt Face Cream?

Don’t get me wrong, I do believe in the power of skincare, moisturizers, exfoliants, and the like, but you mean to tell me the biggest villain here is not Laurel Hedare (played by Sharon Stone), but an evil skin cream that could potentially leave weird cracks on my face? Interesting.

3. “Like My Nails?”

It’s Catwoman’s diamond-sharp claws for me. Just ask George Hedare (played by Lamber Wilson) and his cheek can tell you everything you need to know.

4. That Really Weird Basketball Scene

This is probably the funniest and arguably worst part in the film. In this scene, we see Patience “schooling” her love interest Detective Tom Lone (played by Benjamin Bratt) in a game of basketball. To be honest, it’s really just the both of them building up some tension with each other on the court while a bunch of children watch from the sidelines. I think we all can relate to the kid at the end of the scene who asks Patience for the basketball back. 

5. She Earned Those Razzies

For those of you who don’t know, the Golden Raspberry Awards (aka Razzies) are rewarded to films deemed the worst of the worst. Catwoman (2004) won Worst Picture, Worst Actress, Worst Director, and Worst Screenplay. I think it’s great that Halle accepted her award with great pride, balancing out her Academy Award for Best Actress that she received back in 2002 for her exceptional performance in Monster’s Ball.

As a 16-year-old, there was a sense of mindless bliss that I most likely experienced when I watched Catwoman for the first (and then second) time. Two decades later, my developed deconstructionist 30-something-year-old mind would reveal that I was probably a lot more forgiving of the film’s inaccuracies back then. Still, Catwoman is a good laugh and a gentle reminder of why Halle Berry deserves to be an honorable mention… especially when we’re having future debates about who we think is the greatest Catwoman to ever do it.

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