Rating: 
Summary: A favorite of this movie buff
Review: So often movies get categorized as "chick flicks" or "action" films and are assumed to have no appeal to the opposite sex. This movie is powerful and touching for anyone. Whenever it is run on a late night cable channel for the hundredth time, anyone in the room yells, "Stop! I love that movie!" if I'm flipping by. I cannot say enough good things about the storyline and, having read the novella many times, the adaptation is true to the plot. This is a film that might not seem to be a good "date" film on the surface, but would actually be the perfect mix of the emotional as well as the physical side of movie-making. It's just the kind of movie that gives you goosebumps, gives you teary eyes and makes you want to clap! That's rare these days.
Rating:
Summary: The best movie that is not a "great" movie
Review: My wife and I were recently surfing through TV channels and we happened on a broadcast of the Shawshank Redemption, which we had watched on video a while earlier. We both turned to each other and said "Look, it's the Shawshank Redemption! That was such a good movie!" We then continued to watch it all our favorite scenes and couldn't believe how good they were.I like to think of the Shawshank Redemption as just a really well done movie that is not a "great" movie. What I mean by this is that it is not all that ambitious of a movie, in contrast to movies like the Godfather or Taxi Driver, which attempt to redefine the idiom. Instead, it is just an incredibly well-made movie without a lot of pretensions. It has all the ingredients for a formula prison movie: The naive spoiled protagonist totally unprepared for jail, the wise and savvy lifer who helps him out, the sadistic corrupt warden, etc. However, the characters are so well drawn and acted that they never once seem formulaic. I think the characters are even more impressive for this, because they overcome ones tendency to view them as stereotypes even though they superficially fit into stereotypes. It is hard to say enough good things about the acting. I'll just stop at saying that every actor I was familiar with gave the best performance that I have seen in their career. The bottom line is that The Shawshank Redemption is simply a really good movie, nothing more and nothing less.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best films of the 1990's
Review: This was one of the best films of the 1990's and was all but snubbed by the Academy. It was nominated for seven Oscars in 1995 including best picture, but it came up empty, trodden under by the Gump stampede. Frank Darabont's adaptation of Stephen King's short story was a thing of beauty. The story of an banker who thinks his way out of a maximum-security prison, and survives on sheer intelligence, guile and will is expertly spun and engrossing. The ending is uplifting and exhilarating. Both Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman gave career performances. Robbins was outstanding in the portrayal of a character whose phlegmatic and understated persona belied his cunning and razor sharp intellect. Freeman was also fantastic as the old convict who knew how to get things done in the joint. Freeman's performance got him a Best Actor nomination in a year when Tom Hanks was a cinch. Everything about this film was superlative. The direction, the cinematography, the sound and the music were all top flight. It is difficult to comprehend how such an accomplished film was left with so little acclaim. I rated this film a 10/10. I highly recommend it, although viewers should be advised that there is some disturbing prison violence. Don't miss it.
Rating:
Summary: Keeping the human spirit alive!
Review: The horror of being locked away when you are innocent is a haunting prospect. Andy (Tim Robbins) is accused of murder and definitely seems out of place in prison. His calm, gentle spirit seems to keep him from going insane. Once he meets Red (Morgan Freeman) he finds a life-long friend. The story is narrated by Morgan Freeman and gives the film a nostalgic feel. His voice is truly calming and beautiful. Red tells the story of how he meets Andy and how the friendship survives the injustices of life. I have never thought of this movie as "too long." I love this movie as it is really one man's journey to freedom. Those who take the journey with Andy will be rewarded at the end. Hope was not enough for Andy. His determination to escape makes him take his fate into his own hands. You will be amazed at what someone will endure to keep hope alive and survive! Andy's body is in prison, but his soul remains free. He finds ways to enrich the lives of his fellow inmates by helping them to collect books for a library. He is cunning, wise and knows he is innocent. Therefore, we feel he is justified in what he chooses to do. Get ready for an uplifting movie which takes hold of your heart and sends a powerful message of hope and determination. The human spirit is alive and overcomes all evil. The art of living is always to make a good thing out of a bad thing. -E. F. Schumacher (1911-1977)
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Summary: WOWZA!
Review: HEY i loved this film.. I cant say enough good things about it, except BUY it.. its worth many many multiple watches... Robbins and Freeman deliver 2 of the best perfomances ever!
Rating:
Summary: The Best Movies Ever Filmed
Review: This movie is most definatly my all time favorite. When I first heard of it on cable tv I was sceptical and didn't want to see it at all. Then my dad rented it and made me watch it, I was hooked within the first 10 minutes. The movie was casted great, it was incredibly written, and I am still arguing with my sisters boyfriend whether Andy actually commited the crime that sent him to prison for 20+ years. All in all this movie will not be a dissapointal if you either buy it or just rent it(but save yourself the time and just buy it, you will thank me later).
Rating:
Summary: One of my all time favorite movies!
Review: This movie is in the top ten of my favorite movies of all time. Great acting by Morgan Freeman and Tim Robins, and also beautifully narrated by Freeman. The story is spectaculer and moving, and the ending is awesome. Buy this movie now!
Rating:
Summary: A very good movie
Review: The Shawshank Redemption is a prison movie based on a Stephen King story. In both this movie and in the Green Mile, director Frank Darabont shows that he really knows what he is doing. Both Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman give unforgetable performances. This movie has it all. It will make you laugh and it will make you cry. And the ending is the best one that I have ever seen (Im not going to tell you; You'll have to see it for yourself!)
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Summary: Man v. The System: Film returns to it's artistic roots
Review: I am normally loathe to give *anything* a perfect score. Perfect scores are just that: perfection. I feel that this movie is indeed perfect. Deep characters, an excellent storyline, believable situations, you name it. The hero, Andy receives a life sentence for the murder of his wife, and then spends the next 20+ years living it out. After quite some time, Andy manages to make friends with a few of the inmates and after being placed in a pivotal position, begins to make real improvements in the prison rehabilitation practices. The movie draws you in and holds you there. There are very, very few movies on the planet that can achieve that all-elusive place of causing you to forget that you're in the real world. Set aside plenty of time to watch this masterpiece so you can enjoy it uninterrupted and prepare to stand in awe of filmmaking as an art.
Rating:
Summary: The best
Review: This is truly one of the finest films ever made. It is sweeping, heartbreaking and uplifting. It has surpassed Star Wars as the movie I've viewed the most times. I never get tired of it and the emotions never cease to pull me into those prison walls. The characters are a part of my imagination now. They carry stronger memories than some people I've known. I can see Andy and Red now on the shore of the Pacific. Do yourself a favor, buy this without a doubt. You will never regret it.
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