Shawshank's Genius Makes Harsh Critics Look Stupid

Rating: 10/10 (13 February 2012)

Even though the number of fantastic reviews overpowers the bad reviews I would like to challenge the bad. These "critics" call this movie boring, stereotypical, and not believable. Their ratings, 1 out of 10, are based on an overreaction in order to draw attention to themselves. These ratings don't have merit and quite frankly are immature. For starters, this movie is based around a theme that's both controversial and important. The premise of falsely convicting someone to life in prison or capital punishment is as real and as touchy of a subject that you can get. It has been a major problem in society since the beginning of law and occurs more frequently then anyone would like to admit or even think about. So already we have a movie that is thought-provoking, relevant, and powerful. Then you get Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman, in their prime, give career and industry altering performances. Then the movie goes above and beyond ALL others when the universal themes of fear, friendship, and hope are exquisitely baked into the plot. Unlike most movies, the final outcome isn't always apparent and is definitely not given up easily. The movie is purposely stretched out in order to create an emotional connection. Shawshank understands that whenever something is quickly and easily given up it won't be very thought provoking. Additionally, Shawshank understands it is a fictional story and that key embellishments are vital to any influential story. Therefore, this movie allows the viewer to get emotionally committed so that you walk away feeling affected.