(B+) For the most part, the picture is good, but it's never quite as sharp as other new releases and doesn't provide as much detail as one would imagine or expect. Part of that may be due to some slight, overall pixelation that covers the entire picture. Noticeable in lighter-colored solid sections, it's most distracting when the camera pans across a scene as it creates a somewhat blurry image.
While it's not awful by any means, it's not quite what you'd expect from a new release. It does seem to get better as the disc proceeds -- unless one simply gets acclimated to the look. Beyond that, the colors are decently reproduced, but never look spectacular (which was the case with the original theatrical production).
AUDIO:
(A) While romantic comedies have never been known for taxing either a movie or home theater's sound system, the audio that's present here is decent and more than adequately gets its required job done. Featuring a whimsical and romantic score that's accompanied by some contemporary and classic pop songs, the music and the characters' dialogue always sounds quite good.
EXTRAS:
Scene selection/Jump to any scene.
Cast and crew filmographies and biographies.
Running audio commentary by writer/director Nora Ephron and producer Lauren Shuler Donner.
Music only audio track.
HBO First Look Special: "A Conversation with Nora Ephron." -- 14+ minutes.
Tour of New York's Upper West Side -- Interactive Map featuring 11 film location choices that show clips from the movie, behind the scenes clips and audio describing the locales.
2 Theatrical trailers.
Original trailers for "The Shop Around the Corner" and "In the Good Old Summertime."
Trailers for "Addicted to Love," "Arthur," "The Bridges of Madison County," "City of Angels," "Joe vs. The Volcano," "Message in a Bottle," "Michael" and "Tin Cup."
DVD-ROM Feature: Original Call Sheets (that then jump to the corresponding scene in the film).
DVD-ROM Feature: Comparisons of scenes from this movie with similar ones found in "The Shop Around the Corner" and "In the Good Old Summertime."
DVD-ROM Feature: Access to the film's songs.
DVD-ROM Feature: Read the email sent back and forth between the characters in the film.
DVD-ROM Feature: Cast interview and biography gallery.
Based on the 1940 Jimmy Stewart/Margaret Sulluvan film, "The Shop Around the Corner" (itself based on Miklos Laszlo's play "Parfumerie"), "You've Got Mail" not only proves that one can successfully update a charming film, but also that lightning can strike twice.
By that, we're referring to the second pairing of Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, and writer/director Nora Ephron who previously delighted romantic comedy fans with 1993's "Sleepless in Seattle." Like that film, this one's rather lightweight, fluffy stuff, but oh, what a tasty concoction of cinematic cotton candy it proves to be.
Sure, it's rather predictable (considering how few romantic comedies end with the couple not being together), and some may complain that it's too saccharinely sweet for its own good. Nonetheless, you can't beat the wonderful and naturally easy chemistry between Hanks and Ryan, or Ephron's direction and script (co-written by sister Delia Ephron) that take full advantage of their on screen chemistry with a crisp plot and smart and funny dialogue.
Of course what makes the film work so well is the perfect cast, and Hanks and Ryan couldn't be more well-suited, charming and likeable than they are here. With this, their third film together (the first being "Joe Versus the Volcano"), Hanks and Ryan are so comfortable playing with and against each other that their relationship always seems perfectly natural and believable.
Easily the best "feel good" and perfect date movie of the year, "You've Got Mail" is a decidedly lightweight, but fun and charming film that will lift everyone's spirits and put a smile on their faces. Featuring a smart script and Hanks and Ryan at their best as romantic comedy characters, you simply can't go wrong with this picture that's not only delightful, but clearly also an audience pleasing film.
As far as the DVD qualities go, while the picture isn't quite up to par with other new releases, the disc certainly makes up for that with an abundance of supplement materials, some accessible via a standard DVD player, others from a computer's DVD-ROM drive. All in all, there's enough extras present to keep the film's fans busy and happy for hours.
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