Cocoon: The Return

Starring: Don Ameche, Wilford Brimley, Courteney Cox, Hume Cronyn, Jack Gilford, Steve Guttenberg, Maureen Stapleton, Jessica Tandy, Brian Dennehy (uncredited)
Directed by: Daniel Petrie
Rating: PG
Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Science Fiction
1988

Times Seen:
Tim: 2

Summary: Five years after their departure, Arthur (Don Ameche), Ben (Wilford Brimley), Joe (Hume Cronyn) and their wives return to Earth for a visit- and an important mission.

Review:

Tim: Cocoon: The Return is a bit of an unnecessary sequel. The first film was good, but I'm not sure people were clamoring for another film. Still, here it is. As often happens with sequels, this movie isn't nearly as good as the original. What was new and unique in the first film starts to feel a bit redundant here. I didn't hate this movie, and I might have liked it more than some, although I have to admit this film is a step down in quality.

This movie is really missing the presence of director Ron Howard. New director Daniel Petrie does a decent job, but this movie doesn't feel as tight or as emotional as the original. The movie is basically just an excuse to see our old friends again, plus some absurd break-the-prisoner-out-of-the-government-lab plot point. If you want to see the original characters back together again for nostalgia's sake, then this movie is worth watching. If you want the story to really be progressed, then you might be a bit disappointed. This feels like a rehash/slight continuation of the original story, rather than a full story that stands on its own.

The cast is fine, although we don't really get any stand out performances. Don Ameche and Wilford Brimley are strong again. Hume Cronyn, Jack Gilford, Jessica Tandy, and others are all nice to see again. I always enjoy seeing Steve Guttenberg, although he was even more goofy here. I thought the addition of Courteney Cox was fine, but she didn't add a great deal to the film. I was very glad that Brian Dennehy at least made an uncredited appearance at the end of the film, although his presence was missed throughout the rest of the film.

I was surprised that this film wasn't nearly as emotional or powerful as the original. While Cocoon was a movie with layers, this film feels much more surface level. The events here are only for story purposes, not to have any deeper meaning. That hurt this movie. Plus, some of the events of this film felt quite a bit silly. It is a bit absurd the immediate changes that overtake our friends upon returning. These events feel a bit much, especially considering the whole movie takes place over only a few days.

Whereas the extraordinary events of the original film always felt realistic and plausible, this movie is less and less believable. I was only mildly interested in any of the events of the film, because the script felt shoddy and quickly written. This really has an unfortunate effect on the film.

Cocoon: The Return is somewhat enjoyable, because of the goodwill from the first film. I admit I enjoyed seeing all the characters together again, even if the story around them was fairly weak. This sequel is definitely a step down from the first film. I am not surprised that Ron Howard skipped this one- it was a good choice.


Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 6



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Cocoon, K-PAX, E.T.: The Extraterrestrial