View Full Version : The Shawshank Redemption - Best movie of all time or not?
Crazed Rabbit
05-20-2009, 18:47
So one thing that's been bothering me is the fact that over at IMDB.com The Shawshank Redemption is rated as the best movie (http://www.imdb.com/chart/top?tt0111161), above every other one in existence. That is not right. But I've noticed that the movie has a legion of ferociously devoted fans who seem to think it really is the best. I recall a funny summary of the movie posted by Sasaki (something along the lines of pointing out the weirdness of Morgan Freeman's gentle narration while the protagonist gets it, shall we say, in the bum?) making light of all the silliness in the movie.
But I want your opinion, so I'm posting this poll.
EDIT: If you disagree with me, please share why.
CR
There is no poll, but it is a very good movie and is one of the best.
johnhughthom
05-20-2009, 18:54
It's a very good movie but I certainly wouldn't call it the best of all time.
It was a great movie- but not the greatest movie ever.
Hooahguy
05-20-2009, 19:23
It was a great movie- but not the greatest movie ever.
QFT
LittleGrizzly
05-20-2009, 19:23
Not the greatest movie of all time perhaps... but one of the greatest than can be enjoyed by a slightly wider audience ?
Perhaps that has something to do with its high rating, me and my mum both love the movie and we have hugely different tastes... whereas a classic like idiocracy would appeal to a smaller audience and so get more bad ratings...
Not the greatest ever... but certainly great!
Edit: couldn't you have included a poll option for lovers of the film who want to compliment it but have other favourites...
Ser Clegane
05-20-2009, 19:57
To join the choir - a very good movie, but certainly not the best ever.
Of course I cannot think of any movie of which I could say that I consider it to be the best movie ever, but somehow I would expect the "best movie" to be somehow really extraordinary along at least one dimension. Shawshank Redemption just seems to "mainstream" to get such a spotlight.
I guess that is what is to be expected in broadly voted rankings - sometimes there are TV shows that show the top 20 or 50 of whatever (books, songs, refrigerators) ranked by public vote.
As you get into the top 10 there are always those entries were you happily nod, thinking - yes that's a classic ... and then, when it comes to the #1 it's always
"doh - how anticlimactic - that one is good, but certainly not the greatest ever"
I recall a funny summary of the movie posted by Sasaki (something along the lines of pointing out the weirdness of Morgan Freeman's gentle narration while the protagonist gets it, shall we say, in the bum?) making light of all the silliness in the movie.
This one? (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFNwBA4x7ek)
Great movie, but it would be a stretch to call it the best.
seireikhaan
05-20-2009, 19:59
Certainly not the "best" movie ever. That one could even attempt to quantify any movie in all of cinema history as "best" is absurd. I don't personally care for comparing movies to each other- I would rather simply enjoy the movie for what it is.
GeneralHankerchief
05-20-2009, 21:34
Top ten? Definitely. Top five? Possible. Best ever? Absolutely not. That title belongs to The Godfather. It's an amazing story with great characters, and some scenes are appropriately epic (the opera, after he climbs out of the sewer pipe), but it just doesn't compete with the best of the best.
Sasaki Kojiro
05-20-2009, 22:00
Too sentimental for me. Can't really identify with any of the characters.
And yes, morgan freeman had that voice over during the prison rape scene... "Things weren't always easy for Andy...
here:
I wish I could tell you that Andy fought the good fight, and the Sisters let him be. I wish I could tell you that - but prison is no fairy-tale world. He never said who did it, but we all knew. Things went on like that for awhile - prison life consists of routine, and then more routine. Every so often, Andy would show up with fresh bruises. The Sisters kept at him - sometimes he was able to fight 'em off, sometimes not. And that's how it went for Andy - that was his routine. I do believe those first two years were the worst for him, and I also believe that if things had gone on that way, this place would have got the best of him.
And the best movie is Fight Club of course.
Samurai Waki
05-20-2009, 22:40
I didn't want to make the other guy feel lonely. Its a great movie, I'm not sure about the best.
Edit: Best Movie: Con-Air. haha
Strike For The South
05-20-2009, 22:58
Leave the gun, take the canolis
johnhughthom
05-20-2009, 23:51
Leave the gun, take the canolis
Gotta love Clemenza.
Proletariat
05-21-2009, 02:05
It's maybe a top fiver like GH said but nothing has or will be better than The Big Lebowski.
I'll take the Redemption, the Lewboski and Fight Club into my "best movies" box.
Sarmatian
05-21-2009, 03:53
Great yes, but definitely not the best, not in the top 10 for me, or even top 20. I could squeeze it in top 50...
[...] nothing has or will be better than The Big Lebowski.
Amen and hallelujah. I don't think Shawshank would even be in my top ten, although it's a good movie. Who can compete with The Dude, though?
Amen and hallelujah. I don't think Shawshank would even be in my top ten, although it's a good movie. Who can compete with The Dude, though?
The Dude abides.
Edit: Best Movie: Con-Air. haha
I think you meant Waterworld. :laugh4:
Samurai Waki
05-21-2009, 07:36
I think you meant Waterworld. :laugh4:
I take offense to that sir. Waterworld happens to be the best movie since No Way Out
I take offense to that sir. Waterworld happens to be the best movie since No Way Out
I beg to differ. The best movie is Gigli. :yes:
Well I find it more frustrating that the dark knight is in the top 10 of best movies. It's not because a rising actor dies that movie is so great? At least The Crow was decent.
LittleGrizzly
05-21-2009, 16:37
I thought the Dark Knight was pretty good... possibly in my top 10, top 20 no problem... im not really all that soppy about dead people i don't know (personally) so that didn't factor into it...
I did quite like Heath Ledger though... i think its because one of me ex's was really into him.... because of his smile apparently... it was quite a nice smile...
No, definitely not. That said, I consider the IMDb Top 250 to be one of the best 'top' lists I've ever seen. The actual numerical order is certainly open to a massive amount of debate, and there are several movies that are grossly over-inflated due to internet fanboyism (e.g. Anything Star Wars or LOTR), but taken as a whole I very much agree with the general trends noted on that list. I especially like that it properly weighs both classic and non-English films, which many lists ignore
Hooahguy
05-21-2009, 17:42
i dont think any movie can be called "the best" since tastes vary from person to person. its like the Grammys. the judges dont listen to all the contestants, they just vote for the song they know of, or at least thats what a friend tells me.
I thought the Dark Knight was pretty good... possibly in my top 10, top 20 no problem... im not really all that soppy about dead people i don't know (personally) so that didn't factor into it...
I did quite like Heath Ledger though... i think its because one of me ex's was really into him.... because of his smile apparently... it was quite a nice smile...
Let's put a smile on that face.
I believe Ledger's performance was quite good actually. The Joker seems to be a character that flip flops back and forth from silly to psychotic depending on who is portraying him. I am very glad to see that Ledger was able to capture both aspects of the Joker's psyche relatively well. Though, for my money the best joker is Luke Skywalker... (Batman The Animated series, the Joker voiced by Mark Hamil. That laugh is lodged in my mind for all time)
As far as The Dark Knight goes I have to say I really enjoyed it, almost as much as i did the original 1989 Batman, it (TDK) and Batman Begins were both returns to form after the dreadful Batman and Robin but I personally wouldn't call it better than the original. TDK has a horrible habbit of explaining itself rather than showing us things and leaving it to interpretation.
However, having said that I do find myself engaged in the film's own insisting and enjoy watching it. If someone wants to put it in their top 10 i fully understand, it's just not in mine. :beam:
johnhughthom
05-21-2009, 17:58
The 1966 Batman movie is by far the best, the "Shark repellent bat-spray" bit is the funniest moment in any movie ever.:laugh4:
It was a very well made movie, but I'm not sure about the best. It is up there with the Green Mile.
The Shawshank Redemption has been -- and remains -- my favorite movie of all time. It just....resonates with me, although I couldn't say exactly why that is. It simply does.
Tratorix
05-22-2009, 08:21
Like everyone said, good movie, well made, enjoyed it. Not the best movie ever, however, because movies are subject to the taste and opinion of whoever is viewing it. Best movie ever is a silly thing to call any movie.
Edit: Best Movie: Con-Air. haha
Why couldn't ya have just put the bunny back in the box?
This thread actually begs that someone should make a "Post your top 10 movies" thread.
Togakure
05-22-2009, 13:12
I enjoyed the movie and own it, always did like "Count of Monte Cristo-esque" stories, but it doesn't even make it to my top 20.
LittleGrizzly
05-22-2009, 17:07
I believe Ledger's performance was quite good actually.
I really enjoyed Ledger as the joker, i don't think i have seen too many different jokers but he easily made it as the best i have seen... i think jokers part helped...
Watching as he made the pencil dissappear for example was an amazing part of the movie!!
This thread actually begs that someone should make a "Post your top 10 movies" thread.
I always usually struggle to get it right with a top 10, ill forget a certain film... or look back with nostalga when the film wasn't actually that good... that being said i would give posting a top 10 a good go..
Reverend Joe
05-22-2009, 23:13
Shwashank was... good. I wouldn't even call it "great," because even though it's very well-done it spends far too much time trying to be great and epic. Truly great movies just happen to be great because everything in them works; you can't fake it (compare Godfather 1+2 to 3, for example.) It makes the rest of the movie, however good, seem stale and stilted.
So yeah, far from the greatest in my opinion. And I agree with Shinseikhaan in saying that I don't like to try assign a title of "greatest movie ever" to a film, especially when all have their own merits that make them the greatest in a certain way.
ok movie, don't get the omgosh
Mouzafphaerre
05-26-2009, 01:53
.
It's one of the best -say- 10 movies I've ever seen. :yes:
.
The Spartan (Returns)
05-26-2009, 02:46
Interesting that you made a topic on this; I've been searching up some great movies, and Shawnshank Redemption is on my to watch list.
To Watch:
Awesome old Jackie Chan films as many as possible
Fight Club
Terminator 2
Shawnshank Redemption
Rewatch:
Star Wars IV-VI
Watched:
American Gangster
There's other films I want to watch, but I don't care to list it.
vBulletin® v3.7.1, Copyright ©2000-2025, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.