Fifty Shades Freed is the third/final chapter of the blockbuster Fifty Shades film trilogy. At the end of the second installment, billionaire Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan) proposed to Anastasia Steele (Dakota Johnson) in a grand romantic gesture, followed by a huge fireworks display. Ana’s former boss-turned-stalker, Jack Hyde (Eric Johnson), watched the festivities from afar, swearing to get his revenge on the couple.

Fifty Shades Freed picks up a short time later, with Ana and Christian’s extravagant wedding ceremony. The couple then heads off on their honeymoon in the French Riviera. From beautiful beaches to a luxury yacht, the the Grey’s have spared no expense, and are enjoying their time together as newlyweds. However, it isn’t long before the shininess of their new status starts to wear off, as Christian tries to control Ana—but not in the way she enjoys. He’s upset when she decides to sunbathe topless, and this leads to a bit of a fight. However, it isn’t long until the handcuffs come out for a sexy restitution.

Just as things are heating up, the couple’s honeymoon is cut short. Christian receives a call alerting him that someone broke into his office, stole some files, and detonated an explosive to cover his tracks. It doesn’t take long for Christian and Ana to figure out that man responsible is Jack Hyde. However, since they don’t know exactly what he wants, Christian increases security, assigning bodyguards to be with Ana at all times.

The newlyweds try to adjust to their new life as a married couple, and Ana to her her new role as woman of the penthouse—but she’s not used to having people wait on her. Things certainly don’t slow down for the couple in the bedroom—in fact they are using the red room more than ever, and Ana is becoming more open to trying new things. However, there seems to always be some new obstacle that’s trying to drive a wedge between the couple—whether it’s Christian insisting that Ana use her new last name for her job, the constant deadly threats from Hyde, or other secrets and unexpected news that the couple hides from one another. Marriage is just the beginning, but will Ana and Christian ultimately have their happy ending?

I had never seen any of the Fifty Shades films before I received this third film for review, I had always dismissed the series as trashy nonsense. So I went back to watch the first two before diving into this final chapter. I was actually pleasantly surprised by the franchise. While the sex can be a bit needless and over-the-top at times, the films do have some interesting characters and relationships, and a bit of a thriller aspect to them. This third installment is pretty much par for the course, so if you’ve seen the first two films, you know what you’re in for. And if you haven’t seen the first two films, I would suggest doing so before watching this final chapter. The characters, relationships and events of Fifty Shades Freed build upon, and make call backs to, things that happened in the first two films. The trilogy plays like one 6-hour film that follows this relationship between Christian and Ana from start to finish. This third installment provides some really nice closure for the story/trilogy.

That said, I don’t think Fifty Shades Freed lived up to its full potential. I had high hopes going into this final chapter with the way the second film ended. The storyline with Hyde coming back and seeking revenge could have resulted in a thoroughly engaging, edge-of-your-seat thriller. I was hoping the filmmakers would focus less on how many sex toys/positions they could squeeze in (that sounds wrong), and fully embrace the idea of becoming a full-fledged thriller. While the film does have some tense moments, it never quite got to that next level. Also, many of the obstacles thrown into Ana and Christian’s relationship seem a bit too manufactured (I also found this to be the case with the first two films).

Universal’s 4K Ultra HD looks and sounds excellent. The picture quality is pristine, clean and detailed throughout. The Blu-ray already looks fantastic, but the UHD version provides a slight increase in detail and extended color palette. This is especially noticeable during the couple’s picturesque honeymoon adventure, and when the couple is joined by friends for the Aspen vacation Ana won at auction in the previous film. The red room scenes also benefit from the HDR color enhancement. The DTS:X audio track is the same on both discs. It provides clear dialogue, and the soundtrack really booms—it is filled with many familiar songs nicely covered and rearranged by modern musicians. I did not notice any use of the overhead channel in the DTS:X soundtrack, but the audio track does provide a satisfying general ambiance—the sounds of nature during an Aspen hike through the woods, the crowds in a dance club, and the bustling sounds of the city.

The same set of bonus features are included on both the 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray discs, which is a nice convenience that you don’t typically see in these releases. These include both theatrical and unrated cuts of the film, a deleted scenes, nearly 40 minutes of behind-the-scenes featurettes with the cast and crew, an interview between author E L James and actor Eric Johnson, and three music videos. I only watched the unrated cut of the film, so I’m not sure what exactly makes up the extra 5 minutes of runtime, but one can safely assume its probably more sex. The 4K Ultra HD release comes packed in a standard UHD keepcase along with a cardboard slipcover. Inside are the 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray discs, plus the digital copy redemption instructions (the digital copy redeems in UHD format).

What’s Included:

Film: (1:50:18 unrated, 1:45:18 theatrical)

4K Ultra HD:

• 2160p / Widescreen 2.40:1
• HDR10
• Audio: English DTS:X, Spanish DTS-HD High Resolution Audio 7.1, French DTS Digital Surround 5.1
• Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French

Blu-ray:

• 1080p / Widescreen 2.40:1
• Audio: English DTS:X, Spanish DTS-HD High Resolution Audio 7.1, French DTS Digital Surround 5.1, English Descriptive Video Service (Theatrical Version only)
• Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French

Digital HD (for redemption deadline, see NBCUcodes.com):

• Digital Copy
  The redemption site redirects to Movies Anywhere for redemption. The included Digital copy redeems in UHD, but what it unlocks seems to vary by retailer. In my connected accounts, iTunes only unlocked the Theatrical Cut (with the Unrated Cut included in HD as a bonus feature), Vudu and Amazon only unlocked the Theatrical Cut, and Google Play only unlocked the Unrated Cut.

Extras:
All bonus features are included on both discs.

• Deleted Scene: Hickey and Apology (1:08)
  Christian apologizes for giving Ana a hickey in retaliation for her going topless at the beach.
• The Final Climax (32:39)
  A look at the making of the film. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with director James Foley, production designer Nelson Coates, set decarator Carolyn “Cal” Loucks, costume designer Shay Cunliffe, director of photography John Schwartzman, producer Marcus Viscidi, producer/author E L James, screenwriter Niall Leonard, and stars Dakota Johnson (“Anastasia Steele”), Jamie Dorian “Christian Grey”), Eloise Mumford (“Kate Kavanagh”), Victor Rasuk (“José”), Eric Johnson (“Jack Hyde”), and Rita Ora (“Mia Grey”). Play All or select from:
  • The Wedding (5:05)
    The cast and crew talk about the elegant wedding venue, the wedding dress, and filming the wedding scene.
  • Honeymoon (3:19)
    The cast and crew talk about the challenges of filming in the south of France during the height of the vacation season, and finding the perfect honeymoon yacht in the French Riviera.
  • Mr. & Mrs. Grey (3:48)
    A look at the penthouse set, and how marriage changes Ana & Christian.
  • Ana Takes Charge (3:36)
    A look at Ana’s transition and growth in the workplace, and a look at the design of her clothes and office.
  • Ana & Mr. Hyde (2:56)
    A look at the thriller aspect of he film, and why Jack Hyde is hellbent on revenge.
  • Aspen in Whistler (2:54)
    The filmmakers talk about transforming Whistler into Aspen, and redecorating the mansion to reflect Christian’s style.
  • Ana’s Revelation (4:11)
    The cast and filmmakers talk about the unexpected pregnancy and how that causes a rift and power shift in Ana and Christian’s relationship.
  • Resolution (3:48)
    The cast and filmmakers talk about the final showdown between Ana and Jack.
  • The Meaning of Freed (3:09)
    The cast and filmmakers look back on the trilogy and give their thoughts on what being “Freed” means for Ana and Christian.
• Christian & Ana By Jamie & Dakota (6:02)
  Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan reflect back on the characters of Ana and Christian, and how these characters and their relationship grow and change over the course of the three films. The actors also talk about filming the sex scenes.
• An Intimate Conversation with E L James and Eric Johnson (8:52)
  Author/producer E L James and actor/villain Eric Johnson have a casual discussion about the film. Johnson talks about going to Paris, getting the role, working with Dakota, playing the bad guy, and more. While E L talks about seeing her books come to life on film, and mentions that she has an idea for a potential fourth book.
• Music Videos
  Collection of three music videos from the film’s soundtrack. Select from:
  • “For You (Fifty Shades Freed)” – Liam Payne & Rita Ora (4:15)
  • “Capital Letters” – Hailee Steinfeld & BloodPop® (3:51)
  • “Heaven” – Julia Michaels (3:26)

Final Thoughts:

Fifty Shades Freed provides a satisfying conclusion to the Fifty Shades film franchise, giving closure to the story of Ana and Christian. I don’t think this film lived up to its full potential to be a full-blown thriller, but it is pretty much par for the course when it comes to the Fifty Shades films. Those who have seen the first two should pretty much know what they are in for. For those who have never seen the other films, I would suggest starting with the first movies, as this final chapter really builds on the characters and events from the first two films, and new viewers won’t have that background information. Universal’s 4K Ultra HD release provides solid audio and video presentation, and the discs contain a nice selection of bonus material that should please fans of the franchise. It also includes a digital copy of the film.