I only ever watched Shawshank Redemption once many, many years ago, and I was distinctly underwhelmed. Maybe if I give it another go I will revise my view of it. But my point is that do we (as movie geeks) really think that it's one of the best films of all time?
It's got what I call "flow" in its storytelling and it builds to such a stunning & memorable reveal that I have to revel in it despite already knowing the outcome after having seen it several times. (And I'm not even a Tim Robbins fan.) So yes, I think it's a great film.