Catwoman: Expectations Destroyed It
What is a bad movie? A movie unable to fulfill the expectations of the viewers is rated low, and the accumulation of many low ratings categorically places movies in the 'bad movie' section. Even movies in this category still possess something of merit. Of course, the subtext is unseen or thought irrelevant. Only through a more critical look at something can it be seen to have value. Sometimes a message is not presented in the right way. The movie Catwoman, while seen as a poor film, still has a theme; the spine of any story and the message of the director. Also, it possesses an interesting, original plot using contemporary things, which is very difficult to do successfully.
The film accumulated many negative reviews. The movie even appeared on a list of bad movies on Wikipedia under "List of Films Considered the Worst."[1] On Metacritic, the movie received 27 out of 100, and the critic from the Austin Chronicle writer gave it a 0. While a majority decided the movie was bad, few arguments centered on the entertainment value or the moral. The main focus in most of the reviews was the directing, acting, or script writing. Every review blamed someone for the disaster. The discourse could be better. The things we focus on are what we consider important, and the performance of the actor and crew topped the list. Considering the film is received so poorly, it deserved more of an analysis from the critics. The movie contained multiple things that were good. However, to deny the what the group is saying is difficult. The acting was bad at times and sometimes, the effects were used in excess that did not help the story. Still, to criticize something well is to also see some of the good things about it. The reason criticisms are ugly, is because the message did not have the proper channel. Catwoman was not told the right way to deliver the message effectively and critics are shooting the messenger.
The theme in Catwoman is stated directly to the viewers several times. It seems the message could not be delivered in another manner. Basically, the movie is about freedom. The mentor of Catwoman, a woman who studied 20 years at a university on the subject of cats, says "Freedom is power." At the end of the movie, Catwoman reiterates the line that freedom is power. Since the movie does not deliver this message in a better way, it is frequently lost. The theme is great because it is relatable to the world, especially when looked at with the other elements in the movie. In the film, the people with the most power, insult the people with lesser power. For instance, when the boss yells at Patience, Catwoman, and calls her incompetent. The theme can be attached to this moment in the same way as it is attached to others. Her response to her boss was to tell him what she believed about him. It was as ugly as his remarks towards her. After she was fired, she was freed from her desk and impassion.
The theme will resonate with women and men who find themselves in a position of powerlessness, where others determine their fate. Being outspoken, Catwoman ignores the concerns of others and is self motivated. Without the help, need, or approval of others, she is able to do anything. Despite her freedom and abilities, she is arrested, because morally she is wrong. In jail, her words are "It's not about me anymore." It speaks to the individual's responsibility to the collective. Those who have the power, have the responsibility to protect others. When she decides this, she becomes free again. The cop sees she protected others he suggests that if she returned to her cell, it would be difficult to prove Catwoman was responsible and she would be released. The results of the movie, the conclusion, suggests that if we do something in the name of the collective, our actions can be justified. The message, however, is not the only good thing about Catwoman, the plot is original.
The plot uses contemporary examples like the skin care industry as new obstacles for the character. While the story is similar to other ascension stories because she dies and is reborn, the plot contains newer, contemporary elements. Skin cream causing a skin that is indestructible is similar to the pill taken to become smarter. It is impossible to find the same concept. The concept came under attack from one critic from The Austin Chronicle, in summarizing the plot, says, "her wealthy cosmetics company employers when she stumbles (literally) upon the unholy secret of their … moisturizing cream!"[2] Out of context, this sounds like the critic is amazed at the concept. The review was negative. The review did not see an appreciation for the difficulty in exploring concepts and testing them. Experiments are the only method of determining what works with the screen and what does not. Despite all the negative criticism, the movie was good.
If any other moments in the movie say anything it is when the male corporate owner tells the new model to "not think." This may not be an original concept placed in a movie, but it is still there and placed at an important time. The two are watching a simple spectacle, something that is all about appearances and not truly interesting to the man, but he still chooses it over the woman. The woman was ignored for something trivial and something he too, probably thought was bad.
In conclusion, the movie's ratings are terrible in comparison to the movie's meaning. While Catwoman may not have been the correct form to explore the theme, it nevertheless has a spine that drives some of the director's choices. The theme matters today when current events are exploring freedom and who really is free. Does Catwoman qualify as a bad movie? If the numbers are followed, then yes it does. It needs to be seen though in order to make that judgment. Critics can only focus on so much and they tend to focus on the people who made the film or who acted in it. 
No comments:
Post a Comment
Discourse does not benefit from these two things.
1. Flaming
2. Profanity
Please avoid these like the plague.