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.
