Hey everyone, my name is Anthony and welcome back to my Movie Review.
You know guys, the most common movie reviews that i've done are the theatrical movies, cause i always enjoy to watching those whether on the cinema that i used to since 2020 before we got hit by the pandemic or even buying physical copies after the theaters time. Sure i've done a TV movie like Steven Universe The Movie, which even though its like an extended episode, but hey, its a TV movie and its a pretty good one. but you know one kind that i've never done? Direct-to-video. DTV is the kind of movies that when companies decided to cashing in to making movies either based on theatrical movies as sequel or prequel, or even on TV show that they released on physical copes in stores, or even digital download, even if some of them are commonly made in low-budget, but some are rarely expensive to make. But i think the king of DTV movies that they released a lot is definitely Warner Bros that they cashed in a lot of movies into DTV, including this main subject for my movie review.
"Catwoman: Hunted" is a 2022 animated direct-to-video DC superhero film that was directed by Shinsuke Terasawa, produced by Ethan Spaulding and Colin A.B.V. Lewis and written by Greg Weisman
Though i know most of you already know about WB's direct-to-video DC movies, but if anyone who're new like i am, here's my little history. Back in 2007, WB created their DC movies series in animation under the name "DC Universe Animated Original Movies", starting with "Superman: Doomsday", while it may not has a perfect review, but it made a lot of money with a gross of $12.5 Million, and a lot of them are based on various comic stories that we all know, but a lot of them are mixed based on their executions and its presentations (including the one that sucked really badly is their take of Injustice, which thankfully i won't even bother to watch it). But this film that i got really gave me a curiosity to see after i bought it digitally.
So, with all that said, is this film deserves better than the horrible one starring Halle Berry one, or is Catwoman clearly got herself into trouble for more bad movies of herself?
Well, lets find out.
The Story
For DTV DC movie, though its rather basic story and unlike most of adaptation with questionable creative liberties, this one more of an standalone.
The movie interestingly starts in opening anime style, huh, gotta give a nice credit for direction. Anyway, after the opening, it begins in Spain where the gangs with Tobias Whale and Gotham mobster Black Mask in the party on mansion with Leviathan leader Barbara Minerva. However, one classic sport car approaches that we introduce Selina Kyle, at first, she joins in with her old school costume, but little did we know, she's in thief plan to steal Cat's Eye Emerald (you know, the usual stuff for Catwoman), but she was nearly busted by Batwoman that Catwoman goes for escape to chasing away from Black Skull's army of gangsters from leaving the mansion to a car chase, not before she blocked and crashed out by Batwoman to leaving Tobias retrieve the emerald back to Minerva. As Selina wakes out, she was taken by Batwoman in Penguin's jet of Interpol to work with not just Batwoman, but also Julia Pennyworth and King Faraday, as it turns out, the emerald is made as a special tracking device to tracking down Minerva in order to stop them, its up to Catwoman to working together to not only retrieving emerald back, but also facing against Leviathan.
Though its nice to having a movie starring Catwoman, but when it comes to story, its sorta like one of those stories of anti-hero is forced to work with the group to dealing bad guys/crime organization, but still, at least its not one of those exploitation from biggest comics. Though its not just one of those anti-hero forced to work with the group, but its also one those movie is unlikely buddy missions with Catwoman being seductive one with possibly being bisexual, where Batwoman is basically a gender bender of Batman, even if Selina is all like "Aw man, if only i wanna see Batman ever again to work together", Batwoman is like "Yeah, im not like THAT guy.". As for the emerald? Well, its obviously a plot device that it acts as a specialized tracking device to easily tracking down Leviathan, i find it to be predictable that our heroes can easily track them down. Also, how did the emerald is made as a tracking device, is just beyond me. Not to mention, they also mentioned the movie has a connection of Young Justice, but then again, its a no easy answer if this movie has anything to do with the show.
While i like the movie mainly focuses on Catwoman, but the story just as basic with some part that i questioned.
The Animation
I think it safe to say that the film's budget is more on its presentation and the combat.
For starter, rather than taking place in Gotham that we all know, this movie takes place from Spain, Shanghai, China to Paris, France. The background looks nice, even if they're typical at the time, but adding some night coloring. It looks fine, but generic.
But of course, the highlight of this movie is the animation style that it looks its an inspired anime movie, this was thanks from Japanese studio OLM, Inc. with their "Team Inoue". And interesting note, OLM, Inc is the same company that brought us Pokemon anime since 1997 (and yes, it still going on to this day), and they also brought us Ninjala on Switch. And i gotta, the animation with the anime style is pretty good what they're going for, especially that i like Catwoman's design in this movie, i like how she's design to not just seductive, but also made her look cute, though somehow they give her a pet cat Isis, which i have to admit, its a cute addition. As for other character design, they look not bad, though basic that you've seen from the comic or even any medias, Batwoman looks nice and basic, Black Skull looks pretty badass and Barbara Minerva looks cool, but weird that why she has elf-like ears, but if her name sounds familiar, i should've know, really.
However, one flaw for the animation of this movie is that sometimes the voicing dialogue wasn't matching on lips, because at one moment, the talking animation got a lip-sync (Though i wonder if the Japanese dub is better than the main English dub).
Another highlight of this movie (like any DC's DTV animated movies) is the action scenes, since this is anime-style movie, action scenes with anime look is like a bread and butter going together, eh? Anyway, the action scenes are pretty cool, but sometimes its mix, some are just a cleaned fight, and sometimes its about to get bloody at the time, especially with Catwoman and Batwoman tag teaming against Cheshire and Nosferata, but Barbara get a backup with her extra bosses on her organization, which is gonna be quite of challenge for extra villains.
However, some of the fight scenes has no reason to include (Sorry for SPOILER), one of which is where Catwoman has to chasing from repetitive talking Solomon Grundy, i really hate and don't understand the inclusion of Grundy, does this big undead man has anything to do with the plot? Nothing. Though i know its another Minerva's backup, but what's the point?
But another problematic action scene is the car chase scene from escaping party mansion in Spain, though having Catwoman a classic sport car is pretty cool, but when they put it with CG, jeez, i get they wanted to be almost like Initial D, but it looks awfully cheap, like the quality looks more like PS3 graphic, i mean i know its a DTV movie that sometimes it was made cheap, but come on, maybe they could've add more detail to finishing product than rushed the production to ended up look like a previous gen video game graphic.
While i appreciated the animation style, the character design, sometimes the background and the action scenes, but its flawed with some unnecessary extra fight and some animation part really need to be patched.
The Characters
For a movie with Catwoman, you think she's gonna deal with the supervillains like i said before from the plot? Well, when it comes to the characters, they're unique, but sometimes they have a nice dev, but some, would've add more, but like i said before, some has no reason to be included.
Lets starts with Selina Kyle herself, aka Catwoman (voiced by Elizabeth Gilles), our main protagonist that as we all know, she's a seductive jewelry thief where she has a sneaky plan to steal those for her own way an even using her body to interacting heroes, specially for Batman. In this movie, even if she's not a mood for working Interpol, she obviously wants to capturing Cat's Eye Emerald, even if she's kinda disappointed to have Batman working with, but rather with Batwoman, even if sometimes Selina likes to interacting her while on a mission, for the most part, I find her not bad that i can say and Gilles did a nice work of her role.
Speaking of which, we have Batwoman, aka Kate Kane (voiced by... Stephanie Beatriz again? Jeez, first Sweet Mayhem from The Lego Movie 2, then Mirabel Madrigal and now this??), inspired by Batman, she takes her wealth and resource to becoming a vigilante that we all know (unless you never heard of her, like myself included.), here in this movie, she just want to take mission seriously with her unlikely partner, even if Selina like to interact with her before their mission start. She's more like a serious partner while Catwoman is more of being playful seductive anti-hero. Even though she would've also a main focus, but Batwoman is a fascinated hero, even if she's just a female version of Batman, but il give a credit to Stephanie's role of Batwoman, she did a nice work as well.
Next up is the main antagonist of the movie, Barbara Minerva (voiced by Kirby Howell-Baptiste), this is the second time we have Barb Minerva in my review, the first time i see her is from Wonder Woman 1984 that i covered before. For anyone haven't heard, she's notably known as one of Wonder Woman's villainess for turning into humanoid cheetah (hence the name "The Cheetah"). Anyway, in this movie, she served as the leader of Leviathan, where abridged to having Black Skull and four more bosses with working together for... I don't know, taking over various cities for their power? While i somewhat appreciated for her as the leader of the crime organization, but i felt that they forgot to give them a developing their plan of takeover. But based when i mentioned before about Minerva's appearance (SPOILER ALERT), i should've known that she uses her cheetah form as a final boss appearance. While the threat goal is missing for the plot, but i find her descent and Kirby did a nice work of her role.
Next is another villain that i've seen before, Black Skull aka Roman Sionis (voiced by Jonathan Banks), who, as we all know, a crime lord where his goal is taking over Gotham for his own wealth. Like Cheetah, i've already mentioned him from DCEU's Birds of Prey, where he's a narcissistic villain with his club to, you guessed it, sabotaging Gotham, but wants his diamond by Cassie Cain. Anyway, in this movie, he's a mobster to Leviathan helping their goal of their organization, he may looks badass, but again, need an extra development for their goal, of course, Banks's role of Black Skull fits perfectly for his ruthless leader of his own gang.
As for the rest of the characters in the movie, there are not much as developing well, they have some unique parts, but pretty much one-dimensional.
Tobias Whale (voiced by Keith David) is the big brute member of Leviathan, Julia Pennyworth (played by Lauren Cohan) who's the agent of Interpol and the daughter from Alfred, Faraday King (voiced by Jonathan Frakes) who's a special espionage in Interpol, Doctor Tzin-Tzin (voiced by Ron Yuan) who's basically an Asian criminal mastermind with hypnotism power, Mister Yakuza, aka Noguri (voiced by Andrew Kishino) who's the leader of his cartel in Japan, La Dama (voiced by Jacqueline Obradors) the crime lord in El Paso with her ability to summoning monsters, Moxie Mannheim (also voiced by Jonathan Frakes) who's the leader of his group called "Intergang" with his gadget to wearing his mecha armor, which is is pretty cool though, Cheshire (voiced by Kelly Hu) is one of the Leviathan's hired assassin, Nosferata (voiced by Zehra Fazal) a vampire girl who's also hired as assassin, Solomon Grundy (voiced by Steve Blum), who as we all know, a murdered victim turned in a big zombie, but for whatever reason, repeating his phrase over and over while fighting, and Talia al Ghul (also voiced by Zehra Fazal) who's the daughter of Ra's al Ghul who's secretly working with Leviathan, though no spoiler further.
While its nice with some recognizable characters and some new ones that we've never heard, but still, i just wish if the character developments would've helped than focusing on actions.
And now for my final opinion of this film.
Overall, Catwoman Hunted is a an above average film that i considered, i like the presentation of this film, especially with the character designs and having Catwoman as a main protagonist is pretty nice concept.
However, i just wish if the movie could've gone better with the lack of development, the use of CG looks cheaply bad and some botched animation like lip-sync.
I don't think i recommend this movie, but if you're curious about this, just watch it once. But if you're a fan of Catwoman or a fan of DC animated DTV films, this one is for you. But i will give a credit for this movie, at least its better than the 2004 Catwoman with Halle Berry, this one is the worst of all, we can all agree of it.
Im gonna give this one a 6/10, its an above average film, but it could've gone better for the idea.
So this ends of my movie review, if you guys have your opinion or any suggestions, let me know at comment bellow and support me on https://ko-fi.com/blackevil.
Thanks for reading, and im Anthony, signing out.
