How Hot is 'Fifty Shades Freed'?

Let's face it. The critics simply do not love the Fifty Shades of Grey film franchise. They hated the first movie, and they hated the second, Fifty Shades Darker, even more. But now the third, and likely final, installment in the franchise, Fifty Shades Freed, is about to debut, and the question is whether this version of the erotic story is steamier than the first two. Read on for one reviewer's answer to that question.

Via The Hollywood Reporter.

Closing the book on what is arguably one of the worst film franchises in recent memory, Fifty Shades Freed doesn’t quite end with the bang one would hope for. Although, if by "bang" you’re thinking what everyone else is thinking, then there are definitely a few of those in this third and final adaptation of the best-selling E.L. James trilogy. And there’s even the bang of a gun going off at some point in the third act.

But in terms of drama, or melodrama, or just bad drama, Freed rarely delivers the goods while trying hard to give fans what they came for: more visits to the “playroom” for some lightweight sadomasochism, more eye-rolling plot mechanics involving Christian Grey’s troubled past, more reactionary views on love and marriage, more money shots of sports cars, private jets and vacation homes that only the 1 percent can afford and more attempts to turn what may be one of the duller couples to ever grace the screen into two captivating characters. For good measure, the filmmakers also toss in a butt plug.

Seriously, is this the best we can offer adults who don’t want to watch Marvel movies? Given that the Fifty Shades flicks have so far grossed nearly $1 billion worldwide, the answer seems to be yes. This installment should likewise draw a good crowd, although perhaps less than the other two films as viewers begin to grow tired of the same old bedroom routine.

When we last left gazillionaire Grey (Jamie Dornan) and his paramour Anastasia Steele (Dakota Johnson), they were on the verge of getting married. Freed, with its script written by Fifty Shades Darker scribe Niall Leonard, begins with the couple's glorious wedding, followed by a honeymoon that includes stops in Paris and the Cote d’Azur. At one point during the trip, Christian gets a little rattled because Ana wants to go topless on the beach, but that dispute is quickly resolved when he whisks her back to his giant yacht and takes out a pair of handcuffs.

Back in Seattle, the two settle into their new roles of husband and wife, although Ana wants to keep her job in book publishing and refuses to be constrained the way Christian would like. As in the other movies, it becomes a question of how much she will let herself be dominated — “You can’t keep me in a cage,” she tells him early on — in a relationship that, despite all the bells, whistles and bondage straps, is actually as traditional as they get. It turns out the big issue is that Ana may want to have a baby and Christian isn’t quite ready for it yet. Wait, who’s supposed to be “freed” here?

Get the rest of the review at The Hollywood Reporter.

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