THE DARK NIGHT RETURNS THIS YEAR'S CINEMATIC OFFERINGS TAKE A WALK ON THE EDGY SIDE OF THE STREET.

Byline: Bob Strauss Film Critic

You've just got to admire Hollywood's clairvoyance. How else to process the overriding tone of darkness among the planned movie releases for 2002, as America tries to cope with economic recession, a still far-from-resolved war against terrorism and the widening Enron scandal?

While 2002 will certainly see its share of sappy love stories, witless comedies and animated variety shows, there appear to be more films about murder, mayhem and madness on the schedule than ever.

Consider what some of our most reliably reassuring talents will be up to in '02. No less a Mr. Wonderful than Tom Hanks plays a hit man (!) in ``The Road to Perdition.'' Later in the year, he'll appear in Steven Spielberg's ``Catch Me If You Can,'' the once-cuddlesome director's second crime film of the year, along with the sci-fi-tinged Tom Cruise starrer ``Minority Report'' (perhaps as penance, Spielberg digitally removed the guns from his heartlight classic ``E.T.,'' which is getting a big 20th anniversary re-release).

Then there's the schmaltzmeister himself, Robin Williams, going for a big image reinvention in no less than three villainous roles this year. And as long as we're talking scary trifectas, how frightening is the thought of Adam Sandler remaking a Capra film, doing a cartoon and working with a filmmaker as great as ``Boogie Nights' '' Paul Thomas Anderson?

Another threatening threesome includes the second installments of cinema's biggest fantasy franchises. ``Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones'' is, of course, the entry in which young Anakin Skywalker commences his evil metamorphosis into Darth Vader. ``Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers'' will find Frodo and friends in Mordor, Middle-earth's most benighted realm. And director Chris Columbus has gone on record as desiring to make his Harry Potter movies darker, which should scare any reasonable person away from ``The Chamber of Secrets.''

Of course, dark doesn't necessarily mean bad. Indeed, the best movies traditionally tend to be the ones that aren't afraid of life's bleaker aspects.

So we're looking forward to the return of our consensus greatest filmmaker (and anything but an optimist), Martin Scorsese, to his element this year with the period crime epic ``Gangs of New York.'' Ditto ``Seven'' and ``Fight Club'' director David Fincher's upsettingly titled ``Panic Room.'' And Charlie Kaufman and Spike Jonze, the writer-director team that brought us the enjoyably disturbing ``Being John Malkovich,'' may just bring Nicolas Cage back to his long-gone freakazoid glory with ``Adaptation.''

Oh, and both Britney Spears and Mandy Moore make their movie-starring bows this year. So be very afraid - but have a good time just the same.

CAPTION(S):

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Photo:

(1 -- cover -- color) 2002 FILM PREVIEW

COMIN' AT YA

FEATURING SPIDER-MAN'...

(2) `THE SCORPION KING'...

(3) `ICE AGE'...

(4) `ONE HOUR PHOTO'...

(5 -- 7) Clockwise from above left, ``Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets,'' due in November; ``Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers,'' set for a holiday release; and ``Star Wars: Episode II- Attack of the Clones,'' coming in May.