Fifty Shades Darker review round-up: 'Hallmark channel meets Playboy' say critics; label it 'dumber'

There's some really bad news in store for EL James fans.

The author, whose 50 Shades trilogy has spun a multi million dollar empire, had a sequel film, Fifty Shades Darker, releasing this Friday, 10 February 2017. It doesn't seem like it will be debuting in India. Its predecessor Fifty Shades of Grey was banned in India despite there being a toned-down version of the erotic film. The Central Bureau of Film Certification had refused to certify the film on the grounds that it was too erotic in nature, reports AFP.

Still from Fifty Shades Darker

Darker though, didn't have much luck with the critics in the US. Directed by James Foley and scripted by EL James herself, the film gave us another glimpse into Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey's love story. By the looks of the review, we aren't missing out on much. Critics were not were complimentary about the chemistry between the leads Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan for this film. Here's a roundup of what they had to say:

Related Articles

Watch: Fifty Shades Darker trailer shows Christian Grey wants Anastasia back in his life

Watch: Fifty Shades Darker trailer is more romantic, edgy and promising

 The Rolling Stones called it Fifty Shades Dumber, going on to say The Lego Batman Movie leads had better chemistry. "The only conviction the two stars bring to their roles comes in their mutual awkwardness and eye-rolls that suggest going down on each other is an endurance test they can't wait to be over. (Will Arnett and Rosario Dawson generate more erotic heat in The Lego Batman Movie. And they're made of plastic.)," the review read.

USA Today points out, "Johnson still hasn’t found the right role to showcase her skills because this surely isn’t it. Dornan is quite talented — as anybody who’s watched the British TV show The Fall can attest — but he inexplicably loses his mojo in these movies. Together? Well, any pair of fish lying next to each other at Seattle’s famed Pike Place Market have more chemistry. "

What do the critics think of  the new director James Foley's work?

The New Yorker has a less than favourable opinion of the director: "Foley’s direction could serve as Exhibit A in the story of the demise of the mid-range drama: it didn’t die a natural death but was killed off by the sort of reductive realism that’s on display in Fifty Shades Darker."

The film's BDSM theme too didn't meet with much approval.

The critic for The Wrap says: "The film plays like an un-asked-for collaboration between the Hallmark and Playboy Channels."

Do Niall Leonard, EL James husbands' writing skills (or lack thereof) translate into scripting?

Entertainment Weekly says, "Poor Dornan still isn’t given much to work with, except this time, his abs are a little more defined and he’s grown some stubble to show just how heartbroken he’s been without Ana in his life. Johnson gets to have a little more fun, actually cracking jokes and acknowledging the humor in some of Christian’s more ridiculous requests. Still, they’re both hampered by James’ nonsensical dialogue, as Dornan is stuck saying things like, 'I don’t know whether to worship at your feet or spank you'."

Vanity Fair had this to say: You won’t believe just how dumb the dialogue is in Fifty Shades Darker,and, yes, that’s even if you’ve seen the first one."