The Shawshank Redemption

Rating:
Summary: Only 5 things to say about this movie!
Review: 1)Outstanding!
2)Superb!
3)Excellent!
4)A True Classic!
5)Buy it, you'll love it! - One of the finest films ever made.... period!

Rating:
Summary: Great movie to have in your DVD collection!
Review: From start to finish, you can't go wrong with The Shawshank Redemption. This movie is gonna break your heart, and then mend it ever so gently as the movie progresses. By the end, you'll have the biggest smile on your face, and want to hug the person next to you. People who have seen it knows exactly what i'm talking about. What an amazing movie!

I was so impressed with this movie i went to buy the DVD, and it was well worth my money. I watched it over and over again with my girlfriend, and we never get bored with it. This movie is a classic and it's one of the staples in my DVD collection. I strongly recommend it to everyone. If you haven't seen it already, what are you waiting for?

Rating:
Summary: The Best Movie Ever Made
Review: Without reservation, I would say that The Shawshank Redemption is the best movie I have ever seen (and I've seen quite a few). Other reviewers have probably done a better job of explaining why. All I know is that the visuals are superb. The score is inspiring. The acting is incredible. Morgan Freeman is probably the best actor around, and Tim Robbins is one of my favorites as well as extremely underrated. This is one of the few movies that my husband and I both love and that we watch over and over. It never gets routine or boring - even already knowing all the twists and turns. There is something new to discover each time it is viewed. The characters are so well written and acted. They and the plot blend seamlessly to create an undeniable masterpiece.

Rating:
Summary: A Tribute To A Man's Spirit...
Review: This movie is without a doubt one of the best you will EVER see. The lead character, Andy Dusfrene (played brilliantly by Tim Robbins) is falsely accused of the double murder of his wife and her lover, and he arrives at Shawshank Prison where corruption, murder, bribery, and sadism take place daily. He befriends Ellis "Red" Redding (also brilliantly played by Morgan Freeman) and the two begin a long and poignant friendship.

Both go through the trials and tribulations of prison life as Andy tries in his own unique way to bring some normalcy and even beauty into their surroundings. But Andy has a secret that we don't discover until well into the film; A secret destined to change the lives of both he and his friend. This secret leads to many twists and turns and finally to the shocking and inspiring ending of the movie.

Of particular note, is the superb performance of Bob Gunton who plays prison warden Samuel Norton. Why he didn't get the Academy Award for his role is beyond me! He does some of the best acting in a supporting role that has EVER been done by ANY actor.

This film showcases the indomitability of man's spirit as well as the farther reaches of his courage. This is a must see and one you will want to see again and again.

Rating:
Summary: Buy this movie
Review: This is one of my very favorite movies. the ending is so incredible, one of the best twists i have ever seen. the characters are well done and the acting in immpecable. a must for every movie fan.

Rating:
Summary: A movie that makes me want to be a better person.
Review: For me, The Shawshank Redemption and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, two movies which have virtually nothing in common, have forever been ingrained as my favorite films of all-time. The reason: both films represent the reasons why I watch movies in the first place. In The Last Crusade's case, it's plain and simple fun escapism, and never has Hollywood movie magic achieved the rousing exhilaration that the third Indy movie has done for me.

Then there's the other, more complex reason I see movies, to be enlightened, thought-provoked, challenged, and inspired, all of which The Shawshank Redemption accomplishes and more. Back in 1994, I would have thought someone was pulling my leg if they told me a prison drama starring Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins (the latter of whom I had never even heard of at the time) would endure as one of the most popular films ever. Now, I'm just kicking myself for never having seen the film in theaters.

Tim Robbins stars as Andy Dufresne, a banker who's been sentenced to consecutive life terms in prison for the murder of his wife and her lover. His first year is in 1947, and from this point on, we're introduced to several other characters and situations over the many years that pass, Dufresne's developing friendship with Red (Morgan Freeman), and his becoming a mentor to a hotheaded thief (Gil Bellows), all of which culminate to a masterful conclusion which sharply delivers the film's message.

What is that message, you might ask? Why, it's all about hope, about what we do with our lives. To most, living is hell, a harsh reality that involves pain and endurance. But if we take charge of our very own existence, appreciate everything we have and can accomplish, then the very process of living can be wonderful. Even the most cynical people I know still love this movie, a grand statement for just how powerfully effective it is. The plot may not sound interesting to the unitiated (take my word for it, I first saw this film when I was a 14-year old with the attention span of a fly, and the movie still gripped me like no other), but it fits perfectly with the themes at work, and much of the dialogue is so beautifully written, the film simply demands repeat viewings to gather it all.

Frank Darabont adapted the script from Stephen King's novella, keeping much of the storylines and dialogue verbatim, while making a few crucial changes, for the better, believe it or not. Darabont's direction is equally as terrific, keeping things low-key and seemingly unexceptional, but truly crafting something memorable and brilliant. Thomas Newman's remarkable score is emotionally touching and uplifting, perfectly fitting with the movie's tone.

But great as the direction and writing may be, what puts this over the top for me are the performances. Everyone here is excellent, without the slightest minor exception. Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins deliver the best, most powerful performance of their careers in crafting two of the most memorable characters in cinema, with the former proving why he's the greatest actor around and the latter showing why he's one of the more underrated performers. The film is primarily about the friendship between Dufresne and Red, how a man can bring hope to a cynic in even a place as confined as Shawshank Penitentiary. In supporting turns, James Whitmore and William Sadler are exceptional as prisoners who befriend Dufresne. Sadler, in particular, begins the film as a total ass, and it's to his credit that by the end, his transformation to a genuinely likeable character is entirely believable. Even Gil Bellows is excellent here, and anyone who's seen Ally Mcbeal knows he typically defines bland.

The Shawshank Redemption's ending is, quite simply, fabulous. Everything about the final half-hour is perfect, from the big surprise twist to the pacing to the music to the acting right down to the very final scene. I'm probably sounding a bit repetitive by now, but everything about the conclusion (much as the rest of the film) is pure genius. There are flaws in The Shawshank Redemption, most particularly why Bob Gunton and Clancy Brown never appear to age over the years that go by, but such a minor mistake isn't even worth muttering to the overwhelmingly positive attributes the film bears. The Shawshank Redemption is the perfect film, and I'm absolutely certain nothing will ever match it, much less surpass it.

Rating:
Summary: No redeeming qualities and an unbelievable ending
Review: I watched this movie after reading several reviews that rated it very highly. Not the usual prison film with violence, riots, etc., they said. Not true! Here is a movie that depicts and accepts severe bullying, both by the prisoners and the guards. The protagonist suffers biweekly beating and sodomy for the first two years; this is trivialized by the narrator as just "his routine". Perhaps we are to think that this is a movie about the protagonist rising above such humiliation, but the biweekly "routine" is stopped only by the guards bullying the bully, and the protagonist rises only by becoming a crook. The ending is such a surprise that we have to be shown some scenes cut from earlier in the story, while the narrator explains what we missed. But most unbelievable of all is the escape. The protagonist's cell is in the middle of a row, yet he somehow manages to tunnel through the wall not into the next cell but out to freedom! Give me a break!

Rating:
Summary: You can't imprison what's inside
Review: "You can't imprison what's inside" says educated innocent white Andy to uneducated black guilty Red (he's called Red as it must be the Irish in him, he reckons). This is a great movie. Partly the voiceover by Morgan Freeman, partly the underplaying by Tim Robbins, partly the brilliant setting of mood by Director Frank Darabont, partly the importance given to making all the speaking parts interesting characters, all together it stands as a great movie. A feel good film that's for sure. Good does triumph, Yep. The baddies get their comeuppance, Yep. More please. One to own. The victim of one of the silliest reviews by Leonard Maltin who claims it is too long. PLEEAASE!!!

Rating:
Summary: Titanic! Eat your heart out
Review: In between all the mindless slush that we watch in mainstream america. You must Watch something of substance to tease your intellect and lifts the spirit. and the shawshank redemption does exactly that. even though the dvd was shoddy the movie overpowers it. This is the best Non-Oscar film ive seen and Its a crime that this film didn't get one. No special Effects. Just good Acting! this is the paul newman of films! A chilling tale of a framed Banker going to a maximum security prison for the murder of his wife and her "concubine" I reccomend this to anyone witha supreme intellect and a keen spirit. Cause we are All Andy, Being shackled in the maximum security prison of life maybe one day we will all escape.

Rating:
Summary: Quality of acting and story, NOT special effects!
Review: This movie is an instant classic, an amazing story with flawless performances by Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman. One review below said they laughed through the whole movie. Well, I laughed all the way through Titanic which was a disaster in filmmaking and an embarrassment of DiCaprio's career. If you prefer a thoughtful, well-acted, well-written story, this movie is for you.