Catwoman ideas for the new films

[neil14]

hey all,

I watched Halle Berry's CATWOMAN and enjoyed its crappiness although
I liked the idea it had. one who is literally a cat-woman, namely one
who has the abilities, mannerisms and attitude of a cat. However, I
watched Shakira on DVD tonight and thought "This is Catwoman. She
has the skintight leather and Spandex and the feline grace." anyone
else have a thought or two? 8)


EDIT, by Xenos: title changed from 'Shakira Catwoman'

[Bigkid]

hey all,

I watched Halle Berry's CATWOMAN and enjoyed its crappiness although
I liked the idea it had. one who is literally a cat-woman, namely one
who has the abilities, mannerisms and attitude of a cat. However, I
watched Shakira on DVD tonight and thought "This is Catwoman. She
has the skintight leather and Spandex and the feline grace." anyone
else have a thought or two? 8)

NEIL!
OH YES!! I'VE A THOUGHT HERE!
Shakira is one of the most beautiful women in the world, and I would have NO problem watching her wriggle around on the floor as Catwoman! Nice choice! :)

[TwilightPro101]

hey all,

I watched Halle Berry's CATWOMAN and enjoyed its crappiness although
I liked the idea it had. one who is literally a cat-woman, namely one
who has the abilities, mannerisms and attitude of a cat. However, I
watched Shakira on DVD tonight and thought "This is Catwoman. She
has the skintight leather and Spandex and the feline grace." anyone
else have a thought or two? 8)

NEIL!
OH YES!! I'VE A THOUGHT HERE!
Shakira is one of the most beautiful women in the world, and I would have NO problem watching her wriggle around on the floor as Catwoman! Nice choice! :)

I second that. The next Michelle P. just with a lot of Latin sexiness!

[The Xenos]

Acting ability, folks, acting ability. Sure she can shake her rear (and boy howdy can she), but I need more than that for a Catwoman.

[Majik1387]

I say if we gave Halle Berry a chance, we should give Shakira a chance.

[Sonic1002]

That movie jsut should have never happened......
Angelina Jolie is my pick for her.... she has the looks AND can act...

[JaLoHo]

That movie jsut should have never happened......
Angelina Jolie is my pick for her.... she has the looks AND can act...

Second that. If not Catwoman/Selina Kyle then cast her for the part of Talia. Has the exotic look and from Mr. and Mrs. Smith, you can tell she knows her way around hardware and intrigue.

[Tragic_Hero]

I'd like to see Charlize Theron as Catwoman

[effektdmentality]

angelina jolie for me. didn't she play a burglar of sorts anyway, in those two movies about a person who raids tombs and stuff?? :wink:

[Pod]

angelina jolie for me. didn't she play a burglar of sorts anyway, in those two movies about a person who raids tombs and stuff?? :wink:

Oy, she's definitly busy with her next three films. She has Tomb Raider 3, Ocean's 13 and Sin City 2 for her next big films. So I think she doesn't need to make a Catwoman even when some of her films feel like a Catwoman flick.

[rainbeaux]

Thandie Newton is my pick for Selena. Not only can she act and she's beautiful but she encompasses a kind of seductiveness and bitchiness to the role. Plus I think she would have great chemistry opposite Christian Bale.

[Bigkid]

Thandie Newton IS a terrific choice, and I can see what rainbeaux means by all the attributes that she could endow Catwoman with...... but there's no reason to believe that Shakira STILL couldn't pull it off. She would have a dynamite director in Christopher Nolan as a guiding force in the film, plus she'd be working alongside Christian Bale.......I think those 2 would have an amazing chemistry together. Look, there have been other singers throughout the history of filmmaking who've been able to prove themselves (but let's not even talk about Mariah Carey in GLIITER!) but other singers who've proven themselves despite the fact that people would say, "Why'd they give the role to THEM for??! They're SINGERS, for God's Sake!" Well, that's the same reason the thought of Shakira being Catwoman wouldn't be such a hard thing to envision. It's not as if she hasn't worked in front of a camera before either, people. She's still a veteran out there of on camera work......... don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to make her out to be the next Meryl Streep or anything, but in terms of whether or not she could play the sexy seductress known as Catwoman/Selena Kyle........why not?? :)

[cba]

I guess she`s probably too small for that role as is Christina Ricci :? :?:

It`s hard to choose who would be the right person, but i must absolutely say NO to Jolie.
But I believe they would never cast her, so no need to worry. As long as Nolan is here :(

[The Xenos]

I dunno. I get the feeling it's less Nolan than it is Warners still holding the rights to the Catwoman franchise, despite how terrible the Halle Berry movie was.

[SuperSkeptic]

I seriously doubt that we will ever see Catwoman in any of the Bat-films. I am not too broken up about that either as I prefer the direction Nolan is going with the more serious/not sexy-playful tone. Not only was the Catwoman movie bad but ALL bat-films prior to Begins were absolutely terrible! And having Catwoman in the second film did nothing to save the film from the campiness of Penguin and his silly robot penguin toys and such.

There are certain characters which should just be exorcised from the Batman mythos(at least on film) because there is either no way to really do them as anything but Adam West styled camp(re: the Riddler) or anachronistic contrast(re: Robin) or because they are already saddled with too much confusing bat-Film history(re:Catwoman) that, on top of WB re-inventing the continuity/starting over, would only serve to leave your average movie-goer scratching their heads(i.e."Wha? I thought Catwoman was a half-black female superhero with cat-powers?! Who is this white hooker?!).

And when/if Nolan does bring in some of these characters, like say the Penguin, I hope he does not go the stereotypical route of being so obviously pathological/OCD about themselves. For example I can see an arms dealer who got the nick name "The Penguin" because of some physical mannerism(funny walk, short and wears tuxedos, etc.) who perhaps does not like the nick name and no one calls him by such to his face. But do NOT make him a clownish super villain who has "Penguin bombs", robotic remote controlled exploding penguins, who lives in a walk in freezer and eats raw fish.
That sort of crap will just take us back to the Bat-Dark ages of the Burton & Schumacher films.

Leave Catwoman out of it because she has been irrepairably damaged.

Leave Robin out of it because he is an archaic relic from a time when sidekicks were insisted upon without reason/justification and we should be moving on now.

Leave Riddler out of it because my ability to suspend disbelief only extends so far and will not allow for a criminal dressing in green spandex who obsessively composes riddles giving away the means to his own demise. It is silly.

[The Xenos]

Skeptic, I totally disagree on your.. well.. skepticism.

I think all of those characters should or at least could be put into these films.

Now I respect Nolan not being interested in creating Robin. Totally fine with that. Yet I'd like to see someone make a Year One Robin film. It's been done seriously in the comics in more recent years and it worked. I don't see why it can't work on film.

I totally don't get what you're talking about on Riddler. Both in the comics and in the animated series Riddle has been done quite well and without camp. Carrey was a terrible Riddler. Of course, that's not fully his fault. In fact, I'd love to see Nolan's take on the character. Of course they could use the animated design with the tie and bowler hat.

As for Catwoman, this is one I really want to see in Nolan's films. They should bring the character back -because- she's been so tarnished in other movies. They really need to restore the character.

[Essex]

I agree, Xenos. If the animated series Riddler was translated to film, he could be an extremely creepy villain. He would fit in perfectly with the Nolan world, moreso than many Batman villains I can think of.

[norrinraad]

And having Catwoman in the second film did nothing to save the film from the campiness of Penguin and his silly robot penguin toys and such.

For example I can see an arms dealer who got the nick name "The Penguin" because of some physical mannerism(funny walk, short and wears tuxedos, etc.) who perhaps does not like the nick name and no one calls him by such to his face. But do NOT make him a clownish super villain who has "Penguin bombs", robotic remote controlled exploding penguins, who lives in a walk in freezer and eats raw fish.

Leave Riddler out of it because my ability to suspend disbelief only extends so far and will not allow for a criminal dressing in green spandex who obsessively composes riddles giving away the means to his own demise. It is silly.

I disagree completely. Both Penguin and Riddler are classic Batman villains, and deserve the same care and consideration onscreen that Scarecrow, Ra's, and (presumably) Joker have/will receive in Nolan's franchise. They may be inherently goofy characters, but no more so than a man dressing in a goblin costume and flying around the city on a bat glider...

In the hands of a competent writer, any character can be compelling, manacing, or tragic, depending on the requirements of the script. Just because the Riddler of Shumacher's film was not the definitive version of the character does not mean that, in Nolan's hands, he couldn't be as worthy an addition to the franchise as Joker (hopefully) will be. And, for the record, I personally thought Danny Devito's interpretation of Penguin in Batman Returns was as close to perfect as I've seen. I'm not talking about the entire Penguin cave or toys or rocket launcher stuff, which admittedly was ridiculous. I'm talking about his actual portrayal of the character, which was just the right combination of pathetic, disgusting, and menacing for the universe Burton created. Michelle's performance as Catwoman was wonderful too for this particular universe, even though she wasn't the Selina we all know from the comics. If the character is ever recast in Nolan's universe, I don't envy the actress who takes the part. Michelle essayed not one, not two, but three different versions of the same central character for her role, and that leaves some mighty big shoes to fill.
______________
"So I ran like the wind to the water,
'Please don't leave me again' I cried,
And I through bitter tears at the ocean,
But all that came back was the tide."

[The Xenos]

Um... DeVitio's character in Batman Returns was barely The Penguin. It was a bizzaro gothic Tim Burton mirror image. Same for Catwoman. Penguin was never disgusting. He was always clean and proper. Sure it was interesting, but it just was a terrible interpretation of the character.

[norrinraad]

Um... DeVitio's character in Batman Returns was barely The Penguin. It was a bizzaro gothic Tim Burton mirror image. Same for Catwoman. Penguin was never disgusting. He was always clean and proper. Sure it was interesting, but it just was a terrible interpretation of the character.

Umm, I think that was the point. I'm starting to realise more and more how frustrating it must be to be a filmmaker in the internet age. I've seen Tim Burton in interviews and he doesn't strike me as being a stupid person. I'm sure he was well aware that the versions of Penguin and Catwoman in Batman Returns were not the traditional ones, and that the fanboys would be up in arms over his choices. However, these characters fit perfectly within the mileu of his films, even if they were greatly re-imagined versions of their comic book counterparts. What I found so amazing about Burton's two Bat films was how cohesive they were as products. There's a reason that Warner Brothers wanted Burton to go in a more kid-friendly direction with the third film, more reminiscent of the old Adam West series, and there's a reason both Burton and Keaton decided to pass on further installments. A tamer direction would have been counter-productive to the world Burton had created with the first two films. Consequently, Schumacher was brought in to replace him, and we all saw how that turned out. Be careful what you wish for...

I think I have started to approach these properties in a different direction from most typical fans. I'm no longer interested in seeing direct translations from comic book to film for these characters. What interests me now is seeing how real directors interpret these properties. That's why I remain a staunch supporter of Ang Lee's Hulk. What was fascinating about this film was watching how a true visionary interpretted the material, and presented the character as he personally perceived him. As far as I'm concerned, this is more valuable than all the X3s, Ghost Riders, Elektras, and Fantastic Fours combined. And of course, the public rejected Lee's vision. I'm sure he could have done a "HULK SMASH" version had he wanted to. Anyone could have directed a version like that. Hell, Uwe Bol could have done that. However, Lee chose his own path, and he pretty much failed. So what? The last time I checked the world we live in is still imperfect. I'd rather see a noble failure than a sure fire hit that takes no chances any day of the week.

I've seen endless debates on the net where fans compare Burton's vision of Batman to Nolan's. Let me put it on record that I loved Batman Begins. I saw it multiple times in the theatre. And, few would argue that it was a better film, technically speaking, than either of Burton's films. Many parts of Burton's movies were downright embarrasing. Joker dancing to second-rate Prince songs in a museum? Penguins with rocket launchers on their backs? Clowns with toy guns that shot real bullets? The prostitution of Joker's origin? Ugh. Horrible. However, I don't think Burton's films should be dismissed outright, either. Nolan's film may have captured the tone of the books (with all the faux grit the PG-13 rating will allow) but Burton's captured the spirit of the world the Bat inhabits. One critic described Burton's Gotham City as "an industrial wasteland with a serious mean streak", which I think is a pretty beautiful way to summarize Burton's vision. It was always interesting to note how writers from other companies would interpret Gotham whenever there was an inter-company crossover. Even Jackie in the Batman/Darkness crossover described the city as the "most bizarre place" he'd ever visited, and Burton nailed this in his films. His Gotham was a place of casual cruelty, corruption, lost souls, feverish lonliness, and seething freaks. Most interesting though was his interpretation of Bruce Wayne as a self-absorbed man-child, incapable of maintaining an adult relationship aside from his butler, whom he relied on like a child would rely on a parent. This all rang oddly true to me. Were I to interpret Gotham (and Batman) personally, this is how I would most likely wish to portray the Bat universe. Nolan's Gotham was similar, but it lacked the empathy that Burton found in these sad, lonely, hopeless outcasts. As for myself, I have revisited Burton's films on DVD countless times (especially the second film) but have only felt like seeing Nolan's version once or twice since it left theatres. Of the two interpretations, I find Burton's to be oddly affecting. Not moving per se, but affecting. This does not make his vision superior to Nolan's, but I personally find his interpretation to be the more interesting of the two.

I would have loved to see where Burton was planning to take the franshise next.