Valentine’s Day this year proved to be more than just the average annual holiday. Last week was also the premiere of the hot and steamy finale to the Fifty Shades of Grey series, Fifty Shades Freed. Though I kind of hate myself for admitting this, I was one of the first people in line this weekend to get my ticket, and boy was I pleased. Here’s my reaction to some of my favorite aspects of the film.
**CAUTION: MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS.**
Characters
I admit, I’m one of those people who jumped hard and fast on the bandwagon that is Fifty Shades of Grey. I read all of the books and I have now seen all of the movies just days after their release. As with everything else, I liked the books much better than the movies, but I do think the films deserve some praise. For one thing, the characters were great.
Let’s start with the obvious: Jamie Dornan, a.k.a Christian Grey, is incredibly hot. Don’t believe me? Then please leave. Even in the first movie when he had somewhat of a babyface, he was still hot. But as the movies have continued and it’s now at the end, it’s really just unfair. Throughout the movies he’s seemed to develop more and more facial hair, and in Fifty Shades Freed, he is just one hot grown man. Maybe that’s just me being a sucker for a nice beard, but even if that’s the case, it would be hard to deny that his character in general is hot AF. Don’t try to tell me you wouldn’t enjoy having Jamie Dornan lick ice cream off of your leg…
Even Dakota Johnson who plays Anastasia Steele is attractive. Tooth gap and all, she’s a catch. The thing that I love the most about her is her witty, sassy personality. I think she plays her character the best in comparison to the book. Even the development of Anna is spot on in the movies. From a shy, insecure girl in the first one to a successful, confident and strong woman in the finale, Dakota plays her role perfectly. In Fifty Shades Freed, I was pleasantly surprised to see her take matters in her own hands in various moments of the film. This was the first time we’ve seen Anna “take initiative” in some specific scenes… if you know what I mean. She also continues to prove that she is still her own person and refuses to let her now husband control her every move. That’s been such an important factor for Anna and I love how it played out right until the very end.
The Storyline
Throughout the trilogy, the Fifty Shades movies have gotten a lot of various reviews with many different opinions. One opinion is one that I too, even as a fan, had right from the beginning. Let’s be honest, the first movie kind of sucked in terms of storytelling. The entire world of Fifty Shades was so romanticized and sex-driven that the movie really was nothing but the S&M.
Though that is what the entire first movie and book were supposed to be about, it’s been refreshing as the series goes on to see more of a story develop. The first movie was pretty rough, the second one got better, and now finally this third movie hits the nail on the head. Don’t be alarmed, there are still plenty of sexy scenes to go around, but overall, the entire story of this movie was just…better. We got to know the characters even more than before and I didn’t once think to myself, “this has got to be over already, I cannot take another fight and makeup-sex scene.” All the way up to the bitter end when we see the true “climax” and the resolution of Anna and Christian in the future, there was a story to follow along with. This was the movie, that I thought, best represented the books and what E.L. James intended to share all along.
The Music
One of my favorite things from all three movies was the music. I’m not sure who is the one responsible for picking out the music for these movies, but someone please buy them a drink. I’ve downloaded all three soundtracks and I listen to them on repeat for weeks until I get sick of them and then return a couple weeks later for more.
My favorite song from this movie was “Heaven” by Julia Michaels (which may or may not have more to do with the scene in which it was played during the movie…which also may or may not involve ice cream). Just do yourself a favor and listen to it. Other favorites of mine were “Capital Letters” by Hailee Steinfield & BloodPop, “High” by Whethan & Dula Lipa, “Never Tear Us Apart” by Bishop Briggs, and “Cross Your Mind” by Sabrina Claudio. 10/10 recommend the entire album, though.
The Sex
Don’t kid yourself, I know the real reason you wanted to read this was because you just wanted to hear about the sex scenes, so I won’t sugarcoat it for you.
They were good.
Ok, really good.
Have I mentioned there was ice cream involved?
The only other thing that I want to mention is the sex was not the highlight of the movie, which I actually liked. This aspect was another thing that set Fifty Shades Freed apart from the others, especially the first installment. Don’t worry- the “playroom” is still involved in some scenes, but it’s not what makes the entire movie. This time, the sex scenes meant more because by now as a fan, I’ve developed my own relationship with the characters. Now, these sex scenes mean more than actions. As the movies have developed, the characters have matured, and so has the sex.
The “Climax”
All of the ads leading up to this movie have told viewers, “don’t miss the climax,” so I was excited to see what this could mean. It just wouldn’t be the same old Fifty Shades if there wasn’t some kind of danger involved. And as this movie carried on from the cliffhanger of the last with Jack, the danger was definitely there. I won’t go into detail in hopes of not spoiling too much for those who have yet to see the movie, but I must admit it was pretty good. For this being a story not intended to be an action/adventure James Bond film, the directing was pretty good. The movie wasn’t dedicated strictly to the kidnapping, but it also didn’t brush the surface of this important part in the story.
And *major* spoiler alert: I LOVED the ending. As soon as the screen went black for a moment I thought to myself, “I swear if they don’t show them in the future I’m going to be mad,” and sure enough, we got a glimpse into the lives of Anna and Christian living in their private woodsy home with a little boy and another on the way. Ugh, so cute.
Overall, I’m not disappointed with the movies, and I have to give credit to this final one. Fifty Shades Freed really captured the true relationship between Anastasia and Christian. Though it may have been different at the beginning, their relationship turned out to be more than just kinky sex. They fought hard, they loved harder, and they ended up truly happy together. Isn’t that how all good love stories should be, anyway?