Film Clips: Kung Fu Panda 2, Incendies, 13 Assassins and more

• Photo by Sabrik Hakeem, Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics
• Remy Girard as Notary Jean Lebel, Melissa Desormeaux-Poulin as Jeanne Marwan and Maxim Gaudette as Simon Marwan

OPENING THURSDAY
KUNG FU PANDA 2 3 stars (PG) Jack Black reprises his vocal role as Po, the unlikely “Dragon Warrior,” who discovers a link between his fuzzy childhood memories and a vengeful peacock (voiced by Gary Oldman) bent on conquering Ancient China. The screenplay doesn’t live up to its entertaining predecessor and relies on repetitive jokes and a perfunctory theme about seeking “inner peace.” It builds to some unquestionably cool CGI action set pieces, though, and is the rare film that’s enhanced by 3-D presentation, not diminished. — Holman

OPENING FRIDAY
THE DOUBLE HOUR (NR) This blend of melancholy romance and psychological thriller follows a penniless maid and an ex-cop in Turin, Italy, who meet at a speed-dating event but find their blossoming attraction sidelined by a shocking incident.

THE HANGOVER 2 2 stars (R ) Just before his Thailand wedding, dentist Stu Price (Ed Helms) awakens in a squalid Bangkok hotel room with his pals (Bradley Cooper and Zach Galifianakis) but no memory of the previous night’s debauchery. Director Todd Phillips’ follow-up to the hit comedy plays less like a remake than a sequel, given how closely it follows the first script’s template. Helms and Galifianakis remain hilarious in their respective roles, so you may have a good time, but you’ll hate yourself in the morning. — Holman

INCENDIES (NR) Two siblings attempt to unravel the mystery of their mother’s life in this Canadian nominee for Best Foreign Language Film set against the backdrop of the conflict in the Middle East.

13 ASSASSINS 4 stars (R ) A retired samurai (commanding Koji Yakusho) enlists other warriors to help him assassinate the Shogun’s depraved half-brother (Gorô Inagaki) lest he tear feudal Japan apart. Prolific, hyper-violent Japanese filmmaker Takashi Miike brings 21st century stunts and gore effects to his remake of a 1963 samurai film and delivers one of the most accomplished and breathtaking action films since John Woo’s heyday in Hong Kong. The movie’s front end slowly builds to a stunning, 40-minute sequence in which the title characters ambush 200 bad guys in a booby-trapped “town of death.” Don’t miss it. — Holman

DULY NOTED
CANDY DARLING (NR) This documentary profiles Candy Darling, a male-to-female transsexual who starred in several of Andy Warhol’s films and inspired the Velvet Underground’s song “Candy Says.” May 31-June 5, 7 p.m. Cinefest Film Theatre, Georgia State University, 66 Courtland St., Suite 240. 404-413-1798. www2.gsu.edu/~wwwcft.

THE ROOM (2003) 1 star (R ) This hilariously incompetent, sub-Skinemax-level romantic triangle has become a wildly entertaining monthly viewing party, a la The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Writer-director-star Tommy Wiseau strikes a freaky presence as a long-haired, heavy-lidded, thick-accented bank employee cuckolded by his vicious fiancée (Juliette Danielle). The film’s bizarre touches, like framed photographs of spoons, inspire audiences to throw plastic spoons at the screen, and more. Not to be missed. Tue., May 31, 9:30 p.m. $8. Plaza Theatre, 1049 Ponce de Leon Ave. 404-873-1939. www.plazaatlanta.com.

MONDO CINEMA 2011 A series of films exploring how ritual, filmmaking and performance are used to transform bodies. May 29, 7 p.m. My Sister’s Room, East Atlanta
1271 Glenwood Ave., Atlanta, GA 30316. 678-705-4585. http://www.frequentsmallmeals.com/MondoHomo2011.htm.