Zero Effect

There is one thing that makes this film special and that is the persona of Daryl Zero. He is played in a spectacular way by Bill Pullman, who makes the script take life, making simple lines sound really funny and interesting!

Guy Ritchie probably copied a great many things from this film and from the way Pullman plays Daryl Zero in his Sherlock films with RDJ.

So yes, this is a film Sherlock-style with a detective and a sidekick investigating a case.

The dialogues are strong, the acting is strong by all the leads, the music score is very nice, and its definitely one of the 90s films that you will enjoy watching nowadays.

I have to say that I was surprised by Pullman; i had no idea he can act like that (judging him only from independence day and other mainstream films).

In this film he had an opportunity to make this character one of the coolest cinematic detectives I have seen.

Kudos to Jake Kasdan for directing and writing; this is solid film-making.

You can tell the enthusiasm in making this film by the camerawork, props, editing and ofcourse the delivery of the lines and the acting; all the actors are giving their best (and Ben Stiller is toned down to a normal person here...).

Highly recommended if you are looking to see something cool and funny. 9/10.

Bill Pullman is a very underrated actor, and this film he totally steals the show as the reclusive, quirky but 'greatest detective in the world', Daryl Zero. He certainly suited the part in Zero Effect!

Ben Stiller, Ryan O'Neal and Kim Dickens all provide great support in this different but interesting comedy. It had a very good story, some interesting social commentary and observation. Not quite a thriller but for its acute observation, realistic characters and storyline, Ill give this a ***1/2 out of *****!!!

This was a really pleasant surprise. I didn't know what to expect before watching this film, but what I got was a great movie that featured some really good performances. Stiller and O'Neal are solid, but the always-likeable Bill Pullman is the real standout here. There are lots of great moments in this film, many of them comedic, and except for an occasionally slow pace during the second half, I was greatly entertained throughout. Definitely worth checking out this movie.

OK, I thought this was an excellent movie. Having said that, where is the credit to Arthur Conan Doyle? When movies are based on the works of Shakespeare, such as modern day versions of Hamlet and Macbeth they always credit Shakespeares works.

Compare Zero Effect to A Scandal in Bohemia.

Compare the character Zero to Holmes: 1. both use drugs 2. both play a musical instrument 3. both apply astounding powers of observation to solve cases 4. both use disguises 5. both are loners who rely on their intermediaries (Watson/Arlo)

In Zero Effect, Arlo deals with conflicts between his romantic life and Zero's need of him to function. In A Scandal In Bohemia, Watson has recently married and Holmes and Waston must deal with the issue.

The first line of A Scandal In Bohemia reads: "To Sherlock Holmes she is always THE woman."

Guess what, in the end Sherlock doesn't get the girl and he admires her as his most capable adversary. I guess Doyle must have a copy of Zero Effect stashed away somewhere.

Again, I will say I thought is was a fantastic movie. I'm not always a big fan of Pullman, but he was excellent in the role. If you are considering not watching this movie because you don't like Ben Stiller, well don't let that stop you. He takes his normal persona down a couple notches. Don't expect to see any traces of Zoolander or Meet the Parents.

I used to work in a video store in the olden days, and this movie was a little known gem that I used to recommend to customers. I just rewatched it for the first time in a long, long time, and it still holds up.