Firstly, Pfeiffer was great as Catwoman and Selina Kyle.
Secondly, the Halle Berry film was an absolute abortion, but so far removed from the actual Catwoman character that I really don't even consider it to be a part of the Batman universe. It was its own horribly misguided thing.
Lastly, I disagree that having a female villain is less exciting. It changes the dynamic of a fight scene, so it obviously won't have the same physicality as a big ol' punch out, but can create much more tension in other areas of the plot. Furthermore, I think that a female villain (and of the options available, Catwoman is by far the best) would work perfectly in the new Batman franchise. Nolan's approach to the series, especially with The Dark Knight, is very much in tune with the film noir crime films of the 1940s, and everyone knows that noir needs a good femme fatale.