tdrish Boring, boring, boring movie. There was one scene where I cracked up laughing: "No, it's called a W2 form. WW2 was a war!" Altogether, this was a very slow melodrama. It plays out simple and intricate as well. That is, you can make this as complex as you want, or as simple as you want. The romance and body chemistry between Zero and his love work extremely well. It's too bad nothing else here does. It's a mystery that you don't care gets solved or not, you just want the film to end. Strong efforts from Pullman support the film, as does the love scenes, but not enough to justify why this was a major motion picture. Bombed at the box office, so unfortunately, it was nothing major. There were a few confusing moments, and I have to admit I was lost, but its nothing I can say here without spoiling the premise of the film. ( Hopes that none of the other reviews have, either. This is one of those movies where the less you know, the more you will be surprised.) The WOW factor is used once. No more. That is, you've seen this once, and that's more then enough. Not bad, but not good. Six out of 10 stars! Shine on, Bill !

RKlanke The big budget films that Bill Pullman and Ben Stiller get leave me unimpressed. The films a lark, but who are these guys? Can they act? Given an interesting script and a good director, Bill Pullman and Ben Stiller certainly can act.This is no comedy, although there are moments where you will laugh.This is not a derivative version of a Sherlock Holmes story, although there are interesting comparisons.I had not heard of this movie when I bought a VHS copy in a close-out bin. Since then, I have watched it every few years. It is the best work I have seen them do.

filmbay THE first film from Jake Kasdan, the son of famed director Lawrence Kasdan (Pacific Heights, The Big Chill), is a detective comedy that works off a premise so obvious it's surprising it hasn't been exploited more often.Zero Effect steals the Sherlock Holmes mystery formula and places it into a contemporary context. The problem with Kasdan's film is that it doesn't get much beyond this modestly clever idea. Mixing excessive plot intricacies and broad, quirky comedy, the film ends up as a mildly puzzling sophomoric diversion.The self-styled "world's greatest detective" is Daryl Zero, played by Bill Pullman (Independence Day). He's a twitchy character, hair askew, eyes glazed and living in Howard Hughes-like isolation. As is often the case, Pullman seems to be in an acting class of his own, experiencing complicated inner surges and thoughts that don't have much to do with his character.This is hardly the "cold, precise, but admirably balanced mind" of Arthur Conan Doyle's detective, though the parallels are deliberate. Instead of cocaine, Zero imbibes amphetamines; instead of playing the violin, he plays loud, squawky confessional songs on his acoustic guitar. But armed with the latest in information-gathering technology and arcane knowledge -- bylaws governing motel bed placement for the past 30 years -- Zero solves cases with magical precision. The Watson of the story, Steve Arlo, is played robotically by Ben Stiller (Flirting with Disaster). He's a resentful sidekick who gets drunk and complains incessantly about his employer while trying desperately to have an ordinary romantic life after office hours. He works as a front man for Zero, maintaining strict client confidentiality, and collecting big fees.At the beginning of the film, Arlo is in a meeting with lumber tycoon Gregory Stark (Ryan O'Neal), a client of Zero's who is searching for missing keys to a safety deposit box, but who is also being blackmailed for a secret he will not reveal. In short order, Zero has figured out who is doing the blackmailing: a paramedic (a tough gamine played by Kim Dickens, who makes a strong impression here as she does in Great Expectations) who works at Stark's health club. In his quest to expose her motives, Zero gradually finds himself falling in love for the first time in his life, a fallibility that never afflicted Sherlock Holmes.The movie then changes directions to concentrate on the love story, while Arlo continues his quest to break free of his boss so he can enjoy a fling of his own. The plot is complicated, relying on Zero's weird knowledge and observational skills. But the momentum is gone long before the movie ends and one is left only with a faint sense of curiosity. Like listening to Frank Sinatra sing Stevie Wonder, it's interesting, but why bother? Benjamin Miller, Filmbay Editor.

brooksphillip1 Excellent story and dialog. Certainly underrated. The film has great performances by Bill Pullman and Kim Dickens, as well as Ben Stiller. This one seems to have gone unnoticed by most people, but it was clever and entertaining. The plot moves and has plenty of twists, but the plot twists are not what makes the film great. The characters and their development are what make this movie unique. Daryl Zero is one of the most memorable private detectives I have ever seen and his relationship with Gloria Sullivan (Kim Dickens) is well developed. Daryl's sidekick, Ben Stiller, is interesting too as his loyalties are tested throughout the film. At first it is difficult to determine how astute Daryl is--is he really the "most observant" person in the world? Or is he a bumbling fake? As the story develops, you see how adept Daryl Zero is. Even the soundtrack is good with a great song by Nick Cave.