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Catwomen: Anne Hathaway


Ranking my top five Catwoman performances in film and television.

For nearly eight years now, Catwoman has been of the coolest, most interesting comic book characters in mainstream comic books. She's a wonderfully, endlessly fascinating character, deep and complex, fun and fierce. She recently left Batman at the alter in DC Comics and is now starring a new solo series. Few characters in comics are as well beloved as Selina Kyle, that's for sure.

Art by Joelle Jones, from the new Catwoman series, DC Comics.

She's made the transition to media besides comics often over the years. Seven actresses have played her on film and/or television, and many others voiced her in animation, making for a dozen or more multimedia versions of the character.

Catwomen, L-R: Lee Meriwether, Eartha Kitt, Julie Newmar, Michelle Pfeiffer, Anne Hathaway.

Five stand out above the crowd, though. I'll be posting one entry a week (fingers crossed!), counting down my top five actresses* who have best brought Catwoman to life on the big or little screen.

Bicondova, harkening back to Michelle Pfeiffer's epic Selina hair.

First, a brief note on the current iteration of Catwoman, as played by Camren Bicondova in the television series Gotham (2014). I've only seen one episode in its entirety! But, in the clips I've seen, she's the best part of that show, by far. People I respect who watch have confirmed this is true. I've been tempted, more than once, to simply fast forward through the series, stopping only on Bicondova's scenes. Finally, and most importantly to me, her hair style and even her ethereally beautiful facial features serve as undeniable callbacks to Michelle Pfeiffer's iconic performance as Selina/Catwoman in Batman Returns (more on her later). I'm more than happy to give Bicondova high marks for that link alone.

Okay, let's get started.

5. Anne Hathaway, The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

Those aren't going to hold her, trust me.

Hathaway's an actress I've enjoyed in several films, and while she looked great both as Selina and in costume (although that mask was not great), even inspiring some pretty racy fan art (Googling for image is always an adventure, yikes), the performance never quite felt like a fully formed version of the character. Christopher Nolan's Batman films are so relentlessly, borderline suffocatingly male, that it's no surprise Hathaway's role was given short shrift. Then again, this also allows her to stand out as in sharp contrast to the film's hyper-masculinity, which also reveals that she's the best part of the film (sorry, Bane fans).

She certainly knows how to make an exit.

While she's outrageously sexy in the film, it's almost as if that's all the film wants her to be—eye candy for comic book nerds. Overt sexuality is obviously part of Catwoman's DNA, but it's just one part of the character's complex persona. I don't blame Hathaway as much as I do the script, for letting her down.

Hathaway's audition costume and hair had a strong Julie Newmar vibe.

For as much as this version of Selina left me wanting more, the physicality of the performance is reason enough to include Hathaway in the top five. She earns straight A's in that department, strutting, slinking, and high-kicking with an elegant grace befitting of Catwoman.

Hopefully, yes.

*Look, everybody knows my #1 pick already. I realize that might kill some of the suspense, but please, keep coming back! If nothing else, than at least for my sparkling charm and witty wordplay!

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  1. Paul SAugust 12, 2018 at 6:52 AM

    When I first heard about Anne Hathaway being cast as Catwoman I was sceptical, but she won me over. I really feel that she's got the inside running at being the It actress of her generation; Still, La Pfeiffer is and always will be the definitive Catwoman (although I love Julie Newmar). The scene with the cats crawling all over her when she begins her metamorphosis. MEOW

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    1. Words Seem Out of PlaceAugust 15, 2018 at 11:54 AM

      I shared your skepticism when Anne was cast, but she turned out to be the best part of the film (IMHO). You'll really enjoy my top two Catwomen, Paul, so stay tuned...

      Delete

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