June 20, 1992 -- ``Batman Returns,'' the stunning sequel to the 1989 smash hit, is sure to rise to the top of box office hits in the country this week, but its not as good as the other two movies in town this week, ``Patriot Games'' and ``Sister Act.''

``Batman Returns'' is also not as good as the original, but this dark, brooding film, directed by Tim Burton, is no ordinary movie. Burton, who gave us ``Batman,'' ``Edward Scissorhands'' and ``Beetlejuice'' is a master of gothic chic. As in the original, the best part of the film is the set design. Huge statues dot the landscape along with strange, Felix the Cat Clocks. The board room of a villain, played by Christopher Walken, is fabulous. The somber music matches the dark imagery of the film.

The problem with the film is that all of the lead characters are crazy, therefore the plot does not make sense and I guess you could not expect it to. Danny DeVito does a good job playing the demented Penguin, abandoned by his parents, who wants revenge on all the first-born of Gotham City.

Michelle Pfeiffer, plays Catwoman, a victim of sexual harassment who wants revenge against pushy men. After Batman saves her from an attacker, she hates him. That would make sense nowhere else but in this film. Batman, played by Michael Keaton, is also kind of crazy, but appears pretty sane next to Penguin and Cat Woman.

There's a bit of a romance between Cat Woman and Batman, but it doesn't go very far due to excessive craziness on Cat Woman's part. A party scene between Pfeiffer and Keaton is about the only scene in the film where two people have a conversation lasting more than a few seconds. We find out little about the characters, except that they seem to be angry all the time. We find out that Batman can take a licking and keep on ticking.

This is not a story about conversations, thoughts, or even about people, at least people in the normal world. It is about creatures of the night. It is about rage and violence, noise and fury.

I went to the show Friday night at the Fox and it was about as crowded as I have ever seen it there. Although there was laughter during the early parts of the film, toward the end, the audience, a young audience due to the PG-13 rating, seemed somber. When the final credits rolled, I heard no laughter. I didn't see any smiles. Everybody seemed drained by the experience. It is entertaining to a degree, but it is not much fun, certainly not as much fun as the original. The film rates a C.

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