Freeze Frame: “Dune: Part 2” (PG-13), “Io Capitano” (Not rated), “Tyler Perry’s Mea Culpa” (R)

The delay is over Dunatics. Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi epic “Dune: Part 2” has finally arrived on the big screen and it’s a sweeping saga that arguably tells Frank Herbert’s intricate messianic tale better than any of the previous film and TV adaptations. Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya are back on planet Arrakis battling an evil empire, harsh deserts, and a very dense storyline. The dazzling visuals and intimate moments help to compensate for the movie’s sometimes plodding pace. And if you haven’t guessed, part three, “Dune Messiah” is looming just beyond those sandy hills.

If you didn’t get enough sand from “Dune,” then check out “Io Capitano,” one of the nominees for this year’s Best International Feature Oscar. Two naive teens from Senegal decide they’re going to migrate to Europe to become pop stars. Their treacherous journey across the Sahara to Libya is beyond harrowing as they are forced to face death at multiple points from the harsh environment as well as corrupt police and greedy smugglers. While it’s overlong and repetitious, “Io Capitano” is a compelling drama and should be required viewing for anyone contemplating such a perilous journey.

The main question surrounding the Netflix drama “Tyler Perry’s Mea Culpa,” is this: Is it bad enough to be unintentionally funny or campy enough to be a guilty pleasure? Sadly, no. It’s just plain bad. In this steamy erotic thriller, Destiny’s Child alum Kelly Rowlands plays an attorney who gets intimately involved with her client, an artist accused of murder. It’s all goofy, but the wheels completely fall off in the third act. Perry needs to plead “Mea Culpa” for his absurd script.

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