5. Michelle Pfeiffer - Catwoman
Catwoman is a character I can confess to never being fond of in both comic book and animated adaptations - perhaps it's the indecisive nature of her origin story; was she an amnesiac flight attendant, an abused wife, an African American prostitute or the daughter of mafia boss Carmine Falcone? Characters such as Robin/Dick Grayson, The Joker, Two Face and Mr Freeze have fantastic backstories - steeped in iconography - each explored by fantastic writers in such adaptations as 'The Killing Joke', 'The Long Halloween', 'Dark Victory' and for Freeze; the unforgettable Paul Dini-penned animated episode 'Heart of Ice'. Catwoman on the other hand, is the only prominent figure in Batman's rogues gallery that a fan might have trouble defining - even in the otherwise brilliant Jeph Loeb's novels, I found the character's cheesy, flirtatious quips lost amongst the fascinating overarching conflict of organised crime versus the criminally insane - generally speaking, Selina Kyle's subplot just wasn't very interesting. For me, personally, the only successful rendition of Catwoman's origin is that presented in 'Batman Returns' - Selina Kyle; a bookish secretary - violently assaulted by her boss, Max Shrek; the character is mentally and physically 'pushed over the edge'. Michelle Pfeiffer's portrayal of the femme fatale is perhaps the most disturbing example of mental scarring in any film of the Batman series - the dramatic scene where Selina trashes her apartment after a plunge from her boss's top-story office; the image of the crazed woman taking objects sacred to the 'old' Selina Kyle - for instance; the fluffy soft toys that represent her previous, girly-innocence and adherence to societal norms met by the unhinged Kyle's kitchen knife, is one an audience cannot help but find disturbing. Much like Edward Norton's conflicted character in 'Fight Club' - the dull, mild-mannered, office worker rebels against her capitalistic enslavement - tearing apart the consumerist items that constructed 'Selina Kyle' in a state of psychological breakdown; utilising the remnants to construct a new persona - a concept that is presented on screen as she stitches together a costume from the remains of an old black raincoat. This outfit becomes a 'second' skin and with a new found sense of sexuality, violence, bound with nihilism - she becomes the very opposite of the formerly introverted Selina Kyle - a slinky creature of the night, known only as 'Catwoman'. Pfieffer's ability to convincingly play both Selina Kyle and Catwoman is extremely impressive; even her appearance as the post-transformation Selina is dramatically altered. With dark make-up under her eyes, that contrast her snow-white complexion, connote an illness brooding inside her - in this case, mental sickness; evident as her blue eyes flutter, or the manner in which her body swaggers uncontrollably through the streets of Gotham - the beast inside her has seized control. Her cat-suit complete with a whip, references 'kinky' sexual deviancies - violent sex - sadistic aspects of a personality everyday people hide from the public; further empathising 'the beast within' - in many ways, this makes Pfieffer's Catwoman a more threatening adversary than DeVito's Penguin. With Gotham's waddling bird of prey - what you see, is essentially, what you get - with Selina Kyle, her alluring appearance lulls men into underestimating her potential for violence; her insane unpredictability makes her one of Batman's greatest onscreen enemies - thus Michelle Pfieffer earns her place as fifth best casting choice.