Rating: 
Summary: Zero Meets Holmes
Review: I love this movie, one of a very few that I never tire of rewatching. Wonderful mood/atmosphere, in some way reminiscent of Blade Runner. The parallels with the character of Sherlock Holmes are many and vivid. Writer/Director Kasden must be a fan of Jeremy Brett's interpretation of the English sleuth. It's all here: the drug addiction (Tab too), the interest in music - there a violin here a guitar, the disguises, the erratic personal behavior, brilliant leaps in deduction, Stiller's Doctor Watson, and finally the woman. Kim Dickens portrays (very well) the only female that has ever, will ever, reach Zero's heart just as Irene Adler in "A Scandal in Bohemia" was forever 'the' woman in Holme's life. A well told detective story that moves at its own pace but never fails to keep your interest. Pullman, Stiller, and O'Neal are perfect. The music fits (I even bought the soundtrack). A little gem of a movie. Watch it. Buy it. Give us a sequel Jake.
Rating: 
Summary: Portland is the enemy of precision
Review: Bill is Zero. Ben is Arlo. Together, they're a wacky team that, err, whoops.Bill Pullman's Daryl Zero is definitely an odd character. He's yet another "my other brother Daryl." He's almost, but not quite, a master of disguise, but his deductive reasoning hasn't been matched since, well, another fictional character that's been mentioned frequently in these reviews. Why is he odd? He's a recluse, living in a fabulous, quadruple locked, windowless penthouse apartment, living on bulk pretzels and Tab. And pills. Ben Stiller is his associate, and he's the consummate professional, but working for a demanding spacecase like Pullman is taking its toll. On the other hand, the money's nice. Ryan O'Neal is the bad guy. He's a pudgy ex-Ivy Leaguer, who has built his fortune in Portland, OR., and he's being blackmailed. Plus there's bad poetry involved. Bad rock. Bad fake moustaches. Bad hair days. And you'll find out more about the recent history of American Bed design. Sure there's cliches piled up throughout the film, and a couple of the principles don't quite make it over the top (Pullman and Featherstone), this film didn't deserve to tank as badly as it did. It's a fun rent. Check it out. DVD Extras -- nothing too special. You get the trailer. My feeble PC crashed a lot when I was looking at actor bios.
Rating: 
Summary: Zero Effect
Review: The name says it all doesn't it. It had Zero Effect on me and my two buddies who watched it with me. I hope Ben stiller and Bill Pullman gave what they earned to charity. At least that way their time would have been waisted for a good cause. If only I had given the five euro rental charge to charity instead of the rental shop. I would have save myself a major BARF session. I'm giving this one five thumbs up, my lowest rating yet! The time I put into Zero Effect could have been spent talking to this babe I like.
Rating:
Summary: SHERLOCK HOLMES AND DR. WATSON / VERSION 1998
Review: The least one can say about ZERO EFFECT is that the script is very intelligent and reveals the work of a genuine writer. Jake Kasdan has certainly read the adventures of Conan Doyle's super detective Sherlock Holmes with great delight. Like Holmes, bill Pullman likes to teake drugs (amphetamines for Bill, heroin for Sherlock) and to play music (guitar while Holmes had a predilection for violin) when he's out of work. Like Holmes, Bill stays away from women who could deconcentrate him and loves to surprise his audience with his wonderful sense of observation and the amazing logic of his deductions. His only problem : Watson isn't a Doctor but a lawyer who will not (ungrateful Ben Stiller !) write the story of the numerous cases he has solved during his career. So he has to open his PC and do the job himself. The scene in which Bill Pullman tries to find keys in Ryan O'Neal's office is undoubtedly an homage to E. A. POE's detective Auguste Dupin in THE PURLOINED LETTER (1845 !). In fact, nothing new under the sun ! But these references are discreetly hidden in this movie and demands a constant attention in order to appreciate them. ZERO EFFECT is the first movie of Jake Kasdan and I look forward for his next films with great impatience. A DVD to buy and to add to your collection of " unknown great movies "
Rating:
Summary: More than Zero
Review: Zero Effect is one of those movies that you may of heard of ,thought might be interesting than "poof" it never makes it to the theatres. How appropriate the title is considering the movies fate. Daryl Zero is the best and most private of private detectives. He has only indirect contact with his clients. Most of the business end is handled by his assistent Arlo played with gracious restraint by Ben Stiller. But,when Zero, played by Bill Pullman ,gets on the job he is smooth and very brilliant. When he is not on the job he is a reclusive ,anti-social slob .Pullman plays this role very effectivly. As the tricky plot unravels the anti-social detective becomes very social with a main female character that seems to be making an effect of her own on the seemingly inpenatrable detective. Sit back and try to figure out who will make the next move and make sure you believe it when you accept the fact you were wrong again. And,try to remember the last time Ryan O'neal was actually good in a movie . Here he does just fine.You will smile at the end, and say" boy,that was a great movie!"
Rating: 
Summary: Quirky but contrived
Review: Yes, it's quirky and offbeat. The characterizations are well-done (I really enjoyed Stiller's portrayal of the "sidekick"). But the plot itself is a bit contrived; plot developments tend to appear out of thin air, rather than as a result of the actions of the protagonists, and some of them feel clumsy. The pacing is irregular, dragging through characterizations then spurting forward with developments, and then repeating the cycle (which, admittedly, isn't necessarily a detraction from a movie, but I noticed it and didn't like it in this one). All in all, it was a pleasant enough diversion, especially if you like the lead actors, but ultimately forgettable.
Rating:
Summary: The best of everything
Review: Humor, suspence, wit ,plot,actors, I LOVE THIS MOVIE!!!
It just sparkles. You just can't go wrong with this movie!
Your first intro to the mysterious Mr. Zero is so unforgetable.
And the flip flop of Ben Stiller describing his boss to a client, cut in with him describing him to a friend is hysterical. And with all this, its got heart! and some great music!
YES YES YES!!!
Very refreshing.
Rating:
Summary: Good, interesting flick
Review: I liked this movie and if you like offbeat, but good films, you will too.
Rating:
Summary: A wonderfully original movie born of a hackneyed genre
Review: Jake Kasdan himself, the director of "Zero Effect," admitted that the Detective-Story plot is a Hollywood favorite. Having admitted that, he went on to create one of the best movies I've seen, and certainly the best I've seen in this genre, while at once adhering to the rules of the detective story and creating such a sharp, intelligently written story that it makes you shake your head. There is so much to love about this movie I hesitate to begin. How about with the dialogue? From the first line, the dialogue is precise, subtle and funny. Someone famous once stressed that subtlety is key to lasting humor, and this script is exemplary; it's as funny the tenth time I watch it as it was the first. For once, we get to laugh at the detective hero, to laugh at his human flaws, as well as marvel at his methods. Ben Stiller is a master of the human kettle of frustration, and is a great counterpoint to Pullman's various quirks. I didn't like Stiller much before this film, but have since become a staunch fan thanks to his performance here. Kim Dickens was fantastic, as was the role created for her. Detective movies usually feature a femme fatale with much more to her than meets the eye, but Clarissa is one to beat them all. I'll let it stand at that so as not to ruin any of the plot. And Ryan O'Neal rounds out the main cast with a wonderful portrayal of a white-collar criminal. People accuse me sometimes of taking movies too seriously, but I argue back that my favorites are ones that actually teach me something lasting. As we watch, we solve the mystery along with Daryl Zero, and we learn his methods, similar to reading along to a Sherlock Holmes story (in this case, see "A Scandal in Bohemia"). While the real world of PI's almost always involves following a spouse around to see if they're cheating, one can still learn from this artificial world of blackmail, murder and reprisal. It is true that 'watching someone in their natural habitat can be very telling,' and learning how to be an objective observer ('the 2 obs') is rewarding. There is one scene where Zero makes his assessment of his client after watching him for a day at the gym, and it is absolutely fantastic. I read a review of this film that complained about a thin soundtrack. Kasdan himself addressed the question: he hates, as do I, when a soundtrack tells you how to feel. If there's a love scene, play pretty piano music in the background. If someone's being followed, play music in a sinister minor chord. You get the idea. Can't you make a love scene realer, and more poignant, by playing nothing at all, by letting the rustle of a dress as it falls to the floor stand alone as a supremely erotic noise? Kasdan used music minimally, to accentuate a scene rather than make up for it. Jake Kasdan, in his first solo effort as director, made a film as masterful and quirky as its main character, and at the same time made me hang on to every word while I was stunned time and again at the remarkable plot twists. For that he is to be commended.
Rating:
Summary: Rather Boring
Review: I like private eye movies but Zero Effect just took too long to get started and Daryll Zero himself (although brilliantly played by Bill Pullman) knows so many stupid things that no one would ever remember for any reason. Check out the scene in the crime scene motel for example. Ben Stiller is quite watchable too though. But for some reason in every scene with him and his girlfriend they are making out. I don't know if anyone else has noticed this. Tho he's actually got a decent character to get his teeth into this time instead of the 'hapless boyfriend' role he always seems to get stuck with. "Zero Effect"s main problem is that's it's too talky and almost every scene takes place indoors. This adds an unwanted sense of claustrophobia to the film. Writer/Director Jake Kasdan does have talent and I would like to see him go far in Hollywood. And perhaps even make a sequel to "Zero Effect" but with a bigger budget and a more accessable plotline. It would be a shame to kill of a potentially great franchise because of one rather lame movie. The DVD is in Dolby 5.1 and is in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen.
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