For the first time in 2020, we bring the review round-up to you fine folks. Yes, today we’re catching up on a trio of movies that I just wasn’t able to put reviews up of until now. The three films getting the treatment here are independent titles that couldn’t be more different (a recurring theme when we do the round-up, I realize). The indies in question are the coming of age dramedy Troop Zero, the surreal retro found footage type flick VHYes, and the trippy science fiction “comedy” The Wave. Are they all worth your time? Are any of them worth it? Read on to find out… Troop Zero A cast as strong as this one deserves a slightly better movie than we get here with Troop Zero. A family friendly coming of age story, too often it seems like shortcuts are being taken. Quirky moments substitute for true character development. It all just falls flatter than expected, despite a high cute factor and the presence of reliable actresses like Viola Davis and Allison Janney, along with the underrated McKenna Grace in the lead role. A Sundance Film Festival alumni with a small degree of buzz, it comes out now a year later, with almost no fanfare. Unfortunately, the lack of attention is apt and warranted here. The film is a family dramedy, set in rural Georgia in 1977. There, a misunderstood girl named Christmas Flint (Grace) has dreams of something bigger. Namely, it’s life in outer space. Living with her father Ramsey (Jim Gaffigan), a struggling lawyer, they’re both dealing poorly with the absence of her mother. Christmas has a few friends, like Joseph (Charlie Shotwell), but is closest with Ramsey’s secretary Miss Rayleen (Davis). When a big Birdie Scouts competition offers her a chance to actually be recorded on NASA’s Golden Record being shot into space, Christmas is determined to make it happen. To that end, she recruits a makeshift troop of Birdie Scouts, under the tutelage of Miss Rayleen, in the hopes of winning. They may be facing long odds, especially against the troop led by Miss Massey (Janney), but as films like this go, it ultimately becomes more about friendship than anything else. Katie Ellwood and Amber Templemore-Finlayson direct (as the team Bert & Bertie) a script by Lucy Alibar, with cinematography by James Whitaker, and a score from Rob Lord. Supporting players include Johanna Colón, Mike Epps, [...]