There are always high expectations when a popular novel is turned into movie, but it is common knowledge that usually the movie is not as good as the book, especially when the book was not very good in the first place.

One of the most recent examples of this would be the erotic “50 Shades of Grey.” While teenage girls and stay-at-home moms alike are cuckoo for Christian Grey, critics and pretty much everyone else are not so keen.

The book/movie is about college student Anastasia “Ana” Steele, who meets billionaire Christian Grey and finds herself in a bondage, discipline, domination, submission, sadism, masochism (BDSM) relationship with him, while trying to get him to want a white picket fence and 2.5 kids.

Even if the movie had something to work with, it was boring. It did not have much of a plot and there is nothing to really give the movie the push it needs, and the cast did not really help the situation.

While Dakota Johnson plays Ana Steele rather well (considering what she has to work with), leading man Jamie Dornan has as much life as a brick wall. Johnson tries desperately to act for the both of them, but it simply just does not work for her.

Not to mention, the whole point of the movie is dulled down, so much that you wonder what it is supposed to be about in the first place. The sex scenes are incredibly boring and the leads have zero chemistry. They put so much useless dialogue before the scenes that you wish they would just get it all over with already.

Beyond all of the technical stuff, you also look at the specifics. Not only is “50 Shades” a terrible example of the BDSM community, but it is just plain abuse. Christian tells Ana what she can and cannot do, eat, say and so on. He takes her away from her friends and family.

The novel has the potential to be incredibly written and acted, but it is as simple and doomed as it was from the day one. E.L. James should have kept it as “Twilight” fanfiction. 

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