The steamy new release of 'Fifty Shades of Grey' has turned into box office gold for Universal Pictures despite a near total panning from critics.

In fact, the film has become so mainstream it may even outpace the big summer blockbusters to come in 2015. With box office revenues pushing past $81 million in the first 3 days, the film has blown apart any criticism and intrigued audiences to get a taste of the sexually charged drama, one of the raunchiest films in recent years.

With a meagre 26% on Rotten Tomatoes, critics failed to dent the film's chances highlighting that no matter how good or bad a film is perceived by the media, audiences that are engaged and intrigued will still turn up.

For '50 Shades', social media drove arousal over the Valentine's Day Weekend giving the film extra visibility and news worthiness. Some have called it "degrading to women." Others have spoken out, saying how the film could be damaging for people living in "abusive relationships."

Whether people love or hate the film, it has certainly managed to outlast the bashing it got before it was released. Are film critics losing their punch?