When poor, solitary, unappreciated Selina comes home from
another lousy day at work, she switches on the neon sign by
her door: HELLO THERE, it reads. Then she transforms into
the sexy, snarky, immensely powerful Catwoman, and a couple
of letters short on the sign, which now reads HELL HERE.
That, in a phrase, is the difference between the drab,
disenfranchised majority and the unleashed supervillain. In
Tim Burton's marvelous comic-book fantasy, Catwoman has an
underworld ally in the Penguin (Danny DeVito) but is drawn
to an impossible romance with stalwart Bruce Wayne (Michael
Keaton). It can't be, of course; she's too malevolent for
him, and way too complicated. Pfeiffer is superb in the
role, simultaneously catty and caring, erotic and poignant.
A perfect scratch-and-match.