‘Troop Zero’ is exactly the funny and sweet film we need right about now

Posted on April 10, 2020

By MARK VIOLA

When we  think of opening lines, we typically think of books, such as “A Tale of Two Cities,” which begins “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” My personal favorite will always be “The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed,” from “The Gunslinger,” the first book in Stephen King’s epic “Dark Tower” series.

But, movies can have great opening lines as well, including “Troop Zero,” a film that debuted on Amazon Prime just prior to the coronavirus shutting down movie theaters.

The movie begins with the main character saying up to the stars (and any potential aliens they may hold), “I am Christmas Flint. Human female. I think you’d like me. I think you’d want to be my friend.”

Those few words tell us so much about Christmas and her hopes and dreams, as well as her loneliness. What follows is a heartwarming story of lovable losers coming together for a common goal and fighting the odds stacked against them. Thanks to solid performances and a sweet and funny story, “Troop Zero” is exactly the sort of smile-inducing film we need right about now — at least I did.

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