DIGIMON -- The Digimon, those animated counterparts to Japan's Pokémon, get a synergistic shot at their own feature movie. There's a plot behind the kid-friendly animation. A group of Digi-friendly kids team with the Digimon to protect the planet Digiworld from an evil Digimon monster. Of course, plot never matters with these type of merchandise-driven movies. -- Steve Ramos (Rated PG.) No screening.

GET CARTER -- Sylvester Stallone reprises the character of hired enforcer Jack Carter, a role made famous by Michael Caine in the 1971 Mike Hodges film. Director Stephen Kay retains the core plot of the original film. Carter is out to avenge the death of his brother. Other than that, it's hard to imagine what Hollywood will do to British film's greatest gangster drama. Warner Bros. decided not to screen Get Carter in advance for critics. Of course, this hints at a different type of movie killing. -- SR (Rated R.) No screening.

THE EXORCIST: THE VERSION YOU'VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE -- This re-release of William Friedkin's Director's Cut offers an opportunity for some moviemade memory games. Much of The Exorcist is familiar, although 11 minutes of extra footage promises a new jolt or two. The six-track digital sound and additional sound effects give an audible boost to the film's famous jolts. Now, the growls and groans from behind little Regan's bedroom door come at you from every direction. -- SR (Rated R.)

CityBeat grade: B.

MEET THE PARENTS -- Robert De Niro plays Jack Byrnes, an ex-CIA operative who faces off against his daughter Pam's (Teri Polo) anxious boyfriend Greg Focker (a twitchy Ben Stiller) in the funny and fast-paced screwball comedy Meet the Parents.

Director Jay Roach (Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery) finds the perfect comic foil in Stiller. It's impressive how he fumbles everything he touches in such believable fashion. But the true comic kingpin behind Meet the Parents is De Niro himself. Never has one dramatic actor turned his deadpan expression into such a rich comic asset. Meet the Parents is the first movie comedy to figure out how to make Robert De Niro's tough-guy personality seem funny. -- SR (PG-13.)

CityBeat grade: B.

A PORNOGRAPHIC AFFAIR -- Director Frédéric Fonteyne jolts the French conversation drama with brutal emotional intensity. An adult romance between two mature lovers, A Pornographic Affair (mistranslated by some as "An Affair of Love") thrives on the believable spark between its two leads, veteran actress Nathalie Baye and actor Sergi Lopez.

A Pornographic Affair begins its tale in documentary-like fashion. A series of interviews offers each lover the opportunity to comment on their illicit affair.

Much of the film's sexual play is left to our imagination. What's uncovered by Fonteyne is the emotional heartache of the two lovers. Both partners took out a newspaper ad seeking an anonymous sexual affair. It leads to a rather innocent courtship that they describe as being pornographic. To their surprise, what develops is something a lot more sincere.

A Pornographic Affair teases with its titillating title. But by the film's heartfelt conclusion, it's clear that its adult relationship drama sets its priority on a searing display of emotional power rather than some bedroom acrobatics. -- SR (Rated R.)

CityBeat grade: A.

STEAL THIS MOVIE -- Fact or fiction, Steal This Movie -- the biopic about '60s counter-culture organizer Abbie Hoffman -- is a fine piece of storytelling. Based primarily on a book of letters written between Hoffman (Vincent D'Onofrio) and his wife Anita (Janeane Garofalo), Steal This Movie follows the "yippie" movement at its peak during the anti-war movement through Hoffman's life as a fugitive and eventual reappearance.

The brilliant D'Onofrio sinks his teeth into the role of a lifetime. His Hoffman is a charismatic clown, gaining national attention through his antics but winning followers with his passion. D'Onofrio plays Hoffman lovingly but honestly, unafraid to show Hoffman's bouts of manic depression and paranoia.

Garofalo turns in an exceptional dramatic performance that should open up all kinds of career opportunities. When Abbie is on the lam, it's Anita's world that turns upside down. Proven by the movie's dedication, this is her story.

More historically-versed critics may cry foul over Steal This Movie's authenticity, but its earnest look at Hoffman's personal life and mature lead performances make it a must-see. -- Rodger Pille (Rated R.)

CityBeat grade: A.

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