Zero Effect . Tucson Weekly . 02-23-98

Zero Effect

DIRECTED BY: Jake Kasdan

REVIEWED: 02-23-98

Yes, it is a little like eating rice cakes and yes, the title does describe what you're left with a few days after seeing it, but Zero Effect is still a pleasant experience while it's actually happening. Bill Pullman can't help coming across as deeply affable, even when he's playing a psycho detective with a serious mood disorder (proving he is indeed the Jimmy Stewart of the '90s). Ben Stiller is similarly likable as Arlo, Detective Zero's faithful sidekick. The two of them go about solving mysteries with a Watson-and-Holmes routine, complete with amazing deductions gleaned from mere shreds of evidence, and, for master detective Zero, a nagging drug problem. The script leans towards the goofy end of the spectrum, rather than the ironic/witty, which is a nice change for a comedy in our Sienfeld-dominated era. We award five special bonus points for the tender age of writer/director Jake Kasdan, who is just 22.

--Richter

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