Rating: 
Summary: The best in the history
Review: This film was elected as the best ever in the history by a major Japanese entertainment journal. Of course I agree.
Rating:
Summary: The Greatest Motion Picture Ever Made
Review: If you have seen this movie, you will understand that its power is nearly impossible to describe with the mere English language. If you haven't seen this movie, then you have absolutely no comprehension of what you're missing with The Shawshank Redemption.Simply put, in my view, it is the greatest motion picture ever made. Not even the hallmarks of Oscar, who shunned this magnum opus, can stand up to him. The acting is excellent to the point that it's scary, and I do not know a single person who has seen this film that has not been moved by its story. This movie made a name out of Tim Robbins, and only solidifies Morgan Freeman as one of the best actors in the history of the film art. I have read Stephen King's likewise superb novella which this film is based on (it's in his short-story collection "Different Seasons"), but Frank Darabont takes one of King's many masterpieces and one-ups it to infinity. The music provides the perfect background for the contrast of emotions depicted, and while the movie is violent, it is also shockingly real. The Shawshank Redemption will move you, entertain you, and isn't afraid to skirt around the realism of its subject matter, as many other films do. And unlike mainstays like the Godfather & Casablanca, it leaves you with a feeling of complete satisfaction. It is, simply put, the greatest motion picture ever made.
Rating:
Summary: One of my favorite movies of all time
Review: This movie has EVERYTHING a great movie/story should have. There are some violent bits that I could have done without, but I suppose they were needed for contrast. Morgan Freeman is a wonderful actor (always), and Tim Robbins is perfect in this role. Thanks to Steven King (another fave)for the original story.
Rating:
Summary: One of my favorites!!
Review: One of the reasons I enjoyed this film so much is how well it exemplifies life itself. Sure most of us don't end up in jail, but we all struggle at times, we question, and we make one of two choices at that moment--as the film says: "You either get busy livin' or get busy dyin"....The director, Frank Darabont, shows what happens when someone gets themselves dealt a lousy hand in life, and rather than folding, instead, Andy Dufreane, chooses to challenge, what he sees and how he lives. Stephen King, who wrote this short novel that the film was based on once said, :"The more difficult life becomes, the more the human spirit has a chance to shine". This is not a movie about things to do in jail when your bored, it is about the struggle that people face everyday, and the satisfaction and joy that come in the end when you GET UP, and get busy livin'. Wonderfull film, rent it, watch it, buy it!!
Rating:
Summary: Great movie from start to finish...
Review: If you haven't seen it, you're in for a treat... Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman are supurb in this tale of hope. The best sub-character is the character Clancy Brown plays (Byron Hadly)... 'the meanest screw to ever walk a turn in Shawshank'... He's pretty much you worst nightmare as far as prison guards go... He's like a mean Sergeant Hartman from 'Full Metal Jacket'...
Rating:
Summary: very satisfying
Review: Seldom does a movie pull you into the feelings of its characters. In Shawshenk....you feel as if you have connected with Andy and Red...the 2 main characters. I have seen this movie a half dozen times, I never get tired of it.
Rating: 
Summary: Good film - but another fake "widescreen"
Review: Like The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad, the "widescreen" DVD of The Shawshank Redemption is created by blacking out several inches of the top and bottom of the picture, as identical frame comparisons with the fullscreen VHS version on a standard TV demonstrate. Except for perhaps an extra 1/2 inch or so of lateral (side) image, one actually gets LESS of the original image - maybe as much as 20% less - in the so-called "widescreen" version - because one has lost several inches of both the top and bottom of each frame in order to achieve a "widescreen effect." HOW CAN STUDIOS GET AWAY WITH THIS? Sure, maybe it "looks better" on a widescreen TV (which most of us do NOT have), but it is NOT what viewers saw in the theater, which is what widescreen supposedly implies.
Rating:
Summary: The best film ever ?
Review: Put simply this film is mesmeric. It tells the story of a man convicted of murdering his wife and sent to Shawshank prison for life. In the wrong hands this could have been a depressing and meandering two and a half hours, but instead is a beautiful, evocative and uplifting tale of friendship and hope that demands to be seen. Still not impressed? Add to the equation flawless acting and the best twist in recent cinema and you've got quite possibly one of the greatest films of all time. It really is that good!
Rating:
Summary: One of the best of the 90's!
Review: Word has it that Brad Pitt was originally supposed to play Andy in this movie. Luckily, Robbins took the role because Pitt would have cast a different light on this whole movie and I'm not that sure he could have played off of Morgan Freeman as well as Robbins did. What we have here is a masterpiece of filmwork. The story, from beginning to end, it engaging and fast paced. The acting here is superb. Freeman and Robbins shine and their chemistry together is magical. No matter how many times I watch this movie, it never fails to bring a smile to my face.
Rating:
Summary: A Triumph, One of the Best Movies Ever Made
Review: Every so often, a certain type of movie comes along that deeply moves anyone who watches it. This movie is grand in scope and scale, its character portrayals so moving and so real, that you cannot help becoming completely engrossed by it. I believe that the Shawshank Redemption is one of these movies. Often times, movies based on books are sub par, with the common complaint being, "The book is better." Well I, for one, have read the book and watched the movie, and I assure you that the movie is not a let down at all, but rather a triumph of modern cinema. The DVD disc itself is a little thin on features, but at an average price of about $15, anyone with a DVD player and a taste for Drama(or anyone who simply likes excellent movies) should own this movie on DVD. Now, on to the movie itself. The Shawshank Redemption saw career-defining performances from many of its cast members,including Tim Robbins, who became a top star after his incredible performance, and Morgan Freeman, who added to his already impressive list of accolades with his perfect supporting role. Robbins plays Andy Dufresne, a Maine banker who is unjustly convicted of killing his wife and her lover after he discovers that she is having an affair. Andy is a true outsider in the bleak world of Shawshank prison, an educated man not used to violence and despair that are an everyday part of prison life. Robbins plays this part to perfection, showing emotional vulnerability, as well as the stregnth to overcome the greatest adversity. Freeman plays Red, "The man who can get it all," a prisoner serving a life sentence for murder, who befriends Andy. Red adapts to his life in prison by becoming a source for bringing outside goods to prisoners. The interplay between Robbins and Freeman is one of the highlights of the movie, as these two wonderful actors test each other's limits. James Whitmore plays Brooks Hatlin, a man who spends his entire life in Shawshank as a librarian. Once released,as an old man, Brooks finds that he would rather die that live another day in a unfamiliar world. His character is a tragic example of how the human mind can become so attached to its circumstances(even the blak setting of a prison) that it simply cannot let go of them. Bob Gunton takes a memorable turn as Bible-quoting Warden Samuel Norton, whose facade of morality is merely a mask for his depraved behavior and illegal activites. Frank Darabont, who wrote the screenplay and directed this movie,is a master of skilfully portraying human emotions. He deserves all the credit he gets for helping to shape this memorable movie experience. Stepen King's brilliance shines through, as his ability to create complex and memorable characters is evident in this movie. The bottom line is this: The Shawshank Redemption is a monumental achievement in motion picture history. It is defined by a memorable story, engrossing character performances, and one of the most truly gratifying endings I have ever seen in a movie. This is truly one of the greatest movies ever made.
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