Early reviews for Fifty Shades of Grey are in — and critics reckon the film is better than the book

THE early reviews for the eagerly awaited erotic thriller Fifty Shades of Grey are in. And there’s one thing everyone agrees on: Dakota Johnson is the star.

THE first US reviews for Fifty Shades of Grey are in and the reviews are better than expected.

Leading critics have given a qualified “thumbs up” to long-awaited film adaptation of E.L. James’ erotic romance, about a virginal college student who experiences her sexual awakening at the hands of a handsome, bondage and discipline-oriented high-flyer.

“Not exactly whip-smart, but this hotly anticipated bondage-porn romance is in many ways a significant improvement on (the) novel,’’ said Variety’s chief film critic Justin Chang.

Close encounters ... Johnson and Jamie Dornan in a scene from the film.

“Director Sam Taylor-Johnson and screenwriter Kelly Marcel have brought out a welcome element of cheeky, knowing humour that gradually receded as the action plunges into darker, kinkier territory.

“Glossy, well cast, and a consistent hoot until it becomes a serious drag, this neo-91/2 Weeks is above all a slick exercise in carefully brand-managed titillation — edgier than most grown-up studio fare, but otherwise a fairly mild provocation in this porn-saturated day and age.”

New York Post critic Sara Stewart also preferred Taylor-Johnson’s film version.

“Gone are the truly dreadful aspects of the book, and the biggest surprise may be that Ana and Christian have developed senses of humour.

“Still, the film never pretends to be other than what it really is: soft-core porn for the ladies, diluted with an R rating.”

Stand-out performance ... Johnson in Fifty Shades of Grey.

The Hollywood Reporter singled out leading lady Dakota Johnson for special mention.

“Her facial features recall both her parents (Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson), but she’s very much her own actor,’’ said the Hollywood Reporter.

“With a loose-limbed naturalness, she conveys naiveté, intellectual curiosity and romantic yearning, and shows the unassuming Ana’s newfound thrill at being seen, however complicated the man holding her in his admiring gaze.

“She’s open and vulnerable but no fool. Best of all, Johnson and her director embrace Ana’s paradox: She snickers at Christian’s predilections, but they also turn her on.”

Time Out New York’s David Ehrlich reserved his admiration for director Taylor-Johnson.

“Substituting heartache for handcuffs, Fifty Shades is the rare studio romance in which the characters actually try to understand one another.

“As this is the first instalment of an epic trilogy, how much there is beneath the surface remains to be seen, but Taylor-Johnson seems genuinely interested in finding out. Fifty Shades may not make you come, but you’ll still be glad you went.”

Associated Press’s Lindsey Bahr was less enthusiastic.

Soft-core porn ... a scene from the film.

“Director Sam Taylor-Johnson had an impossible mission on her hands to meld the tawdry with the conventional. It’s like trying to mash up the sensibilities of Lars von Trier with Nancy Meyers to create an end product that will be appealing on a mass scale. In trying to please everyone, though, Fifty Shades of Grey has stripped away the fun and settled on palatable. There have been perfume commercials with more depth and story arc.”

Vanity Fair’s Richard Lawson was similarly unimpressed:

“Free of full-frontal nudity and excessive thrusting and, well, orgasming as this movie is, it never gets to that envelope-pushing place. Which I suspect will disappoint many people, understandably. Oh well. Maybe I’m a sex-shaming prude, but I didn’t mind getting the less explicit version, because the movie is at its best when it keeps things swift and light.”

The film opens in Australia tomorrow.

Originally published as Early reviews for Fifty Shades of Grey are in — and critics reckon the film is better than the book