The early-year dead zone gets a mini-boost with the conclusion of the Fifty Shades franchise, a new kid-friendly feature and Clint Eastwood directing a fact-based drama.

Fifty Shades Freed (pictured) wraps up the saga of Anastasia and Christian in a tedious pseudo-thriller that's as much HGTV as BDSM. Peter Rabbit might bear no resemblance to the Beatrix Potter stories, but its frantic gags are at least generally amusing. Michael Haneke's grim Happy End plays like a genre parody of Michael Haneke movies.

David Riedel laments a 15-minute idea stretched to feature length in Clint Eastwood's The 15:17 to Paris.

Also opening this week, but not screened for press, John Hawkes plays an alcoholic ex-cop trying to solve a murder in Small Town Crime.

In this week's feature, a look at the Academy Award nominees for Live Action and Animated Short Films, opening Friday at the Tower Theatre.