WATCH THE GODFATHER INSTEAD. The most overrated film of all time

Rating: 7/10 (22 March 2020)

In a world where films like The Godfather, 2001 A Space Odyssey, There Will Be Blood, Birdman exist, this above average Steven King adaptation tops the IMDb list and lowers the standards of Hollywood cinema for generations of movie viewers who only have time for what they may call "the best films of all time".
While a fantastic film, Shawshank Redemption does not hold a candle to 80% of the Top 100 films in this list. It is an anomaly for it to attain such a high score, which many have presumed to be a result of initial falsified ratings then aggrandized by cinema neophytes who don't know how great movies can be. Snowball effect ensues.
There are great aspects to this movie. Morgan Freeman's acting, Roger Deakins' cinematography, Thomas Newman's score. The lead and director were relatively obscure, but they did fine. The story is as average as films of its calibre can get. While it would certainly be a highlight of the legendary year of 1994 (second greatest year in cinema behind 1999), I CANNOT comprehend the notion that it is the best film of all time. It missed out on every critics poll list.
This movie ain't that great y'all. Skip this and dig further down into the list if you want the real gems. The Godfather is truly a 10/10.