Rating: 
Summary: Far From Zero, Pullman Shines as Quirky Detective
Review: Imagine if you will a detective on par with Sherlock Holmes but with the social skills of Howard Hughes in his later years. If you can visualize this, you've come close to understanding Daryl Zero, the mastermind detective played by Bill Pullman (Independence Day) in the new comedy/mystery Zero Effect.Daryl Zero is a dysfunctional, neurotic man, who locks himself away in a penthouse behind an insane security system. He drinks Tab by the gallon, overdoses on speed and information, and writes horrible songs in his spare time. Aside from all this, he can tell you what you had for breakfast thirty seconds after meeting you and can solve crimes by dialing one phone number. The man defines the line between genius and madness. Zero is so ineffective outside of his job that he is forced to use a go-between to negotiate all his business. Playing Dr. Watson to his Sherlock Holmes is Ben Stiller (Reality Bites) as Steve Arlo, a former lawyer who has trouble reconciling his professional life and his private one. As the story begins, Arlo is discussing his employer with a prospective client, Gregory Stark (Ryan O'Neal). In a series of cuts from this office setting, however, we also see Arlo discussing his boss with a friend. The two discussions counterpoint the duality of Zero's nature. He may be the most brilliant detective who ever lived, but it is obvious the man is also a raging lunatic. Stark has sought Zero's help to recover his missing keys, lost now for a year. Those keys, he believes, have fallen into the hands of the person blackmailing him. One of the keys was to a safety deposit box, but he will not tell Zero what was in the safety deposit box or why he believes the person is blackmailing him. Just one more mystery for Zero to uncover. In order to understand Stark, Zero begins trailing him, first in his health club and later as Stark makes the latest money drop to his blackmailer. Within one day Zero has uncovered the identity of the blackmailer, but withholds the information in an effort to understand the blackmailer's motives. Unfortunately for the socially inept Zero, he also starts to fall in love with Gloria Sullivan (Kim Dickens), a paramedic he met at the health club. This only adds to his confusion and inability to remain objective to the case. In what has to be the most clever narration in a detective film, Daryl Zero decides to document his method of detective work (since Argo has shown no interest in doing so). Zero's strange narration offers some hilarious moments. Early on, he quips, "I always say the essence of my work relies fundamentally on two basic principles: Objectivity and Observation, or 'The Two Obs' as I call them." He also has the weird habit of naming his cases, like "The Case Of The Man With The Mismatched Shoelaces" and "The Case Of The Hired Gun Who Made Too Many Mistakes." Pullman is absolutely brilliant as Daryl Zero. He easily swings between an insane madman in the privacy of his hotel, to a master of intrigue in the pursuit of the blackmailer. The cracks in his armor begin to show, however, when he gets close to Gloria. Pullman plays this perfectly, allowing vulnerability and not foolishness to come through. Dickens (who recently appeared in Great Expectations) does a nice job as Gloria, bringing him out of his shell by inches. Stiller is excellent as Zero's ill-tempered sidekick, and shows a fierce loyalty when pressed by Stark to reveal the name of the blackmailer. Zero Effect was written and directed by 22 year-old Jake Kasdan, son of director Lawrence Kasdan. I look forward to more from this guy in the future. For his first feature film, he has set the bar pretty high. I hope he can follow it with more of the same.
Rating: 
Summary: Clever Sherlock Holmes adaptation
Review: If you have ever read about Sherlock Holmes you will recognize him in Darel Zero. Extremely observant and intelligent man who is lacking social graces and therefore requires a front man, played here by Ben Stiller. There is also a subplot about a brilliant lady that matches wits with the hero and wins his admiration. There are more similarities to Holmes, but this film is not lesser for them. It is a funny, clever, and suspensful film about one's true nature. I really enjoyed this movie and definitely recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: The Case of the Movie That's A Lot Like A Sherlock Story
Review: If you enjoy Sherlock Holmes, and you haven't seen this picture, you are doing yourself a disservice. As you can note by the many reviews, it is very Sherlockian. No small wonder: it appears to be a retelling of the Holmes story "A Scandal In Bohemia." It borrows the skeleton of the original story - which provides us with the comfortable old paradigm - but it veers from the source material enough to make it feel entirely fresh. Which is cool. Also, it is interesting from a visual standpoint, which lends credibility to Sherlock's quote (from yet another story) that "Art in the blood is liable to take the strangest forms," considering Jake Kasdan's paternity. In this case, it might be better to amend the quote to "Art in the blood can't help but reveal itself." It's a pretty looking film, and the camera is in the hands of someone who understands how to use it as a narrative device. Even those who haven't read every Sherlock Holmes story available will possibly like this, because I think most people like to watch stories about really, really smart people who figure stuff out . . . particularly when those smart people have a difficult time keeping themselves together, despite their intelligence. The comparison to Sherlock Holmes wouldn't be quite complete without pointing out that this movie is very sequel-worthy ... and I hope that its makers finally arrive at the same conclusion.
Rating:
Summary: Zero Effect
Review: Daryl Zero (Bill Pullman) is the greatest private investigator in the world, but he's an eccentric mess when he's not working.
This movie is about a particular case which he and his "representative" Steve Arlo (Ben Stiller) get involved in.
I felt that this movie was well directed. The opening scene, switching between Arlo describing Daryl Zero to a potential client and describing him to a drinking buddy, is perfect.
The "P.I. work" aspect of this movie is handled well. If you enjoy watching amazing feats of knowlege and deduction you will enjoy this movie. Also very well done, is the comedic aspect. Daryl Zero has some very funny moments, especially when he's narrating the memoir of his investigatory technique, which he is writing. These things take center stage over the actual mystery and surprises.
Although I am a fan of Ben Stiller his character in this movie was nothing spectacular. It seems, to me, he only shines when he's playing an over-the-top character such as in "Heavy Weights" or "Zoolander". When he's playing a 'normal' character he can be rather boring in my opinion. Daryl seems to be the only character who has much depth until Gloria Sullivan (Kim Dickens) enters the picture. Some might think the romance between Daryl and Gloria (whom he investigates) detracted from the movie. Usually I dislike romance in movies, because its shallow and corny. In this movie I actually found it worked well and did not succumb to either of the aforementioned flaws. Perhaps it was because I found the two characters likable and real. It did, however, slow the movie down some and there may be those who would not appreciate it.
Rating:
Summary: Wow
Review: I just saw this movie, and all I'm going to say is: wow.
Rating:
Summary: best buy doesn't carry good movies
Review: this movie is a good movie you've never heard of. buy it.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best movies I've seen in a long time
Review: I first rented Zero Effect after hearing Siskel and Ebert review it. They were right, I really love this movie. I predict it will someday be a cult movie. The character Zero is an updated version of Sherlock Holmes that truly captures the old style Holmes we all love with a contemporary flare. I can't tell you how many times I have recommended this movie to friends and family. If you haven't seen it, watch it, you won't be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: subtle...brilliant....
Review: I always wanted to rent this film because the cover looked so damn cool. Well after hearing a lot of good things from various friends I finally saw it. Wow.... it's an amazing film. Stiller and Pullman are perfect together. After seeing this movie you'll finally be able to forgive Bill Pullman for his part in the oh so mundane "Independence Day". Stiller, believe it or not, flexes a little bit of acting muscle in this film as well. This film isn't flashy at all it dazzles you with intelligent, flawless writing and strong acting. This movie is interesting, funny, romantic, clever... it's one of those hidden gems that only a handful of people will be lucky enough to see. This movie is not hard too watch in the slightest bit it's very, very digestible. I think the point of my rambling is this movie is an excellent way to spend 116 minutes of your life.
Rating:
Summary: I'm still waiting for a sequel
Review: Zero Effect is a movie that can most readily be identified as a Sherlock Holmes movie for the 1990's. You have your eccentric, but brilliant detective, his trustworthy aide, and a mystery to be solved by logic and reasoning. It is a well made, and well crafted story, and I would love to see a sequel. Bill Pullman, a terrific actor has whose finally managed to lift himself beyond supporting roles and has come into his own as a leading man, is sensational as Daryl Zero. His methods, observation and objectivity, which he calls the ob's, are similar to those employed by Sherlock Holmes, and have stood the test of time very well. Ben Stiller is Steve Arlo, Zero's attorney and assistant, who is set up as Zero's Watson, however, he was not chronicle Zero's work for him, so Zero ends up having to do this on his own. The two work well together, and have a real chemistry, which adds a further dimension to the movie. Zero, like Holmes, plays an instrument, a guitar instead of a violin, but he plays badly, while Holmes was a decent violinist. These differences, I feel, were used, to keep the two of them separate since Zero is in fact, a good detective in his own right, and doesn't really require any further accrutements. Zero, although a brilliant detective, doesn't interact well with people, and has Arlo meet with all prospective clients, and deal with them exclusively. His only concern is solving the crime, not with dealing with anything else involved. The particular case that we are presented with has to deal with a businessman who has lost his keys, and wants Zero to find out who has them. Of course, the mystery is much deeper than that; and in the course of the investigation Zero will have to deal with blackmail, a decades old murder, and the most perplexing thing he's ever had to deal with before, love. Kim Dickens plays the character Daryl falls in love with for the first time in his life, losing hold of his own cherished objectivity in the process. Seeing how he deals with this, and how he manages to solve the mystery at the same time, is all part of the fun. If I had one complaint to make about the movie, it would be on the length. The movie runs nearly two hours long, but proabably could have been trimmed by about fifteen minutes or so to make it run a little tighter, but that's only a minor quibble. My advice is to pick up this movie for yourself and check it out, particularly if you like a good mystery, you won't be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: I'm ready for the sequels!
Review: When I went to rent this from an ind-owned video store, known for having the biggest and best collection in San Francisco, the clerk's response was how this was his favorite. My next stop was a clothing store across the street, where the clerk there went on about how great she thinks Zero Effect is. I also give this film "Two Thumbs Up, Way Up" as Siskel & Ebert did, for the reasons already detailed on this webpage. Everyone I know who has seen this film really loves it, and can't understand why it wasn't distributed better in the theaters. We all want to see more, because, like Sherlock Holmes, this should be a series. Listen to the words of the very last song at the end of the credits, composed by Jake Kasdan/the dirctor and Bill Pullman/the actor. Zero also "sang" a less clear version near the beginning of the film.
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