Merry Christmas fellow movie goers. Today’s holiday themed review is a remake of Jimmy Stewart’s Christmas movie, “The Shop Around The Corner starring Tom Hanks & Meg Ryan as two people who have an online chat on AOL. Unbeknownst to each other, their rivals in person. The remake I’m referring to is “You’ve Got Mail.” Released in 1998, (same year Lethal Weapon IV came out) it received positive reviews from critics and movie goers alike. It was also a box office hit.
Anyway, I’m reviewing last holiday themed review of 2025. I got a lot of current movies to watch before The 2026 Oscars air. I’ve been busy watching a ton of TV shows like “Demon Slayer,” “Shangri-La Frontier,” My Hero Academia’s final season etc. By the way, Tom Hanks will reprise his role as Woody in “Toy Story 5.” It’ll be released on June 19, 2026.
Today’s review contains no SPOILERS whatsoever.
Soft & Hard Aspects
Soft: Tom Hanks & Meg Ryan (before she had too much plastic surgery) both did a decent job for their respective performances.
Random Thoughts
- I know it’s Tom & Meg’s third collaboration, but I never saw “Joe Versus the Volcano” & “Sleepless in Seattle.”
- I’m gonna come clean folks. I’ve never seen You’ve Got Mail. I watched it for the first time prior to writing this review. I’m not a romance guy, I’m into action-adventure, sci-fi, fantasy, neo-noir thriller and superheroes. You know, manly stuff.
- I also haven’t seen The Shop Around The Corner. Again, I’m not a romance guy.
- My family used to have dial-up internet back in the early 2000s.
Other Cast Members such as Steve Zhan, Parker Posey, Dave Chappelle, (my favorite comedian) Greg Kinnear, Jean Stapleton (Edith Bunker from All In the Family) & Dabney Coleman (Principal Prickley from Recess) all did a solid job for their respective performances.
A few Funny Moments made me chuckle.
The late Nora Ephron (Sleepless in Seattle, When Harry Met Sally, Julie and Julia) did a good job directing. She also co-wrote the script with her sister, Delia.
Lauren Donnor served as a producer.
Cinematography’s shot in stable condition.
Chemistry between Joe & Kathleen serves as the main highlight.
Pacing didn’t feel like a slow burn.
Kathleen’s bookstore, The Shop Around the Corner is obviously named after Jimmy Stewart’s movie.
Hard: The movie’s dated. AOL’s no longer a fad as it used to be in the late ‘90s-early 2000s. Nowadays, we chat online on Discord.
Harry Nilsson’s cover version of “Over the Rainbow” is played in one important scene. I thinks it’s an overexposed song in movie history. I can’t stand it. That song needs to retire. It’s been done to death many times in other movies and TV shows.
The Final Verdict: B, FOR BEAUTIFUL DAY!
Although dated, You’ve Got Mail is a good rom-com. if you wanna watch something different with your boyfriend or girlfriend, give this one a try. Merry Christmas movie goers.
Nickthemoviecritic.com 