Cocoon: The Return (1988)

The old age pensioners that left at the end of the first film come back to Earth to visit their relatives. Will they all decide to go back to the planet where no one grows old, or will they be tempted to stay back on Earth?

Director:

Daniel Petrie

Writers:

David Saperstein (characters), Stephen McPherson (story)

Stars:

Don Ameche, Wilford Brimley, Courteney Cox

4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Don Ameche	...	Art Selwyn
Wilford Brimley	...	Benjamin 'Ben' Luckett
Courteney Cox	...	Sara
Hume Cronyn	...	Joseph 'Joe' Finley
Jack Gilford	...	Bernard 'Bernie' Lefkowitz
Steve Guttenberg	...	Jack Bonner
Barret Oliver	...	David
Maureen Stapleton	...	Marilyn 'Mary' Luckett
Elaine Stritch	...	Ruby Feinberg
Jessica Tandy	...	Alma Finley
Gwen Verdon	...	Bess McCarthy Selwyn
Tahnee Welch	...	Kitty
Linda Harrison	...	Susan
Tyrone Power Jr.	...	Pillsbury - Antarean
Mike Nomad	...	Doc

Storyline

Art, Ben and Joe are back! So are their wives and good friend Bernie in their first adventure since their last! Five years since the senior citizens blasted off into space with the Antareans return to earth because their alien friends have to collect the rest of the cocoons in the ocean, believed to be in danger from an earthquake. Ben and Mary visit their family, while Art and Joe visit Bernie, who's still hangin' on. Art, Ben and Joe had forgotten what it was like on earth and immediately begin to feel their weaknesses, except for Art's wife who's pregnant! Meanwhile in the ocean, a biologist company snatched a cocoon out of the ocean and are doing research on it...

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Plot Keywords:

spaceship | senior citizen | alien | old age | elderly protagonist | 

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Taglines:

This holiday season, journey to the most wonderful place in the universe... home.

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Genres:

Adventure | Comedy | Mystery | Romance | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 November 1988 (USA)

Also Known As:

Cocoon 2

Filming Locations:

Miami, Florida, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$17,500,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$18,924,919

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$25,024,919

Company Credits

Production Co:

Zanuck/Brown Productions,Twentieth Century Fox

Technical Specs

Runtime:

116 min

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) Dolby (35 mm prints)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Producers Richard D. Zanuck and Lili Fini Zanuck, co-owned the rights to the sequel with 20th Century Fox. Initially opposed to the concept of a second film, they only went ahead with it out of a need to preserve the integrity of the original. As it transpired, Lili, who was very much opposed to doing a sequel, had only nominal interest, as she was busy prepping her own directorial debut, Rush (1991).

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Goofs

When Bernie tries to hang himself, the rope is in front of his left ear in close-ups and lower, around his neck, in the longer-distance shot.

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Quotes

Bernie: Here is an eagle who just found out his teenage daughter is pregnant.

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Crazy Credits

Half of the clips shown through the end credits are scenes from the first film.

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Connections

Referenced in One Foot in the Grave: Who's Listening (1990)

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Soundtracks

Returning Home
Composed & conducted by James Horner

User Reviews

The sequel

Sequels are usually not as good as the original, unless the sequel happens to be called "Godfather II," so "Cocoon: The Return" is no exception. On the other hand, I didn't find it ghastly (though a few others on this board did). It has the same terrific cast, which includes Don Ameche, Jack Gilford, Maureen Stapleton, Gwen Verdon, with the addition of Elaine Strich in the old folks' department, and Tawnee Welch, Tyrone Power Jr., and Steve Guttenberg with the addition of a very young Courtney Cox in the young folks' department. Brian Dennehy makes a brief appearance at the end of the film.

The Anterians need to return to pick up some cocoons, so the old folks come back to catch up with friends and family, with some interesting results.

Another plot concerns scientists taking one of the cocoons and studying it, while the Anterians attempt to rescue it before it's too late.

The movie actually has some very sweet moments - it probably would have been lousy without the same cast, but they're all very likable.

Okay, not great, and anyone under 55 probably won't want to be bothered. By the way, I cried during some of it. Guess my age.