Cocoon: The Return poster & wallpaper
Get movie widget Recommend it Add to Favorites

Don Ameche, Wilford Brimley, Hume Cronyn, Steve Guttenberg, Jack Gilford ... see more see more... , Maureen Stapleton , Jessica Tandy , Tahnee Welch , Gwen Verdon , Elaine Stritch , Courteney Cox , Iris Acker , Brian Andrews , Fred Buch , Wendy J. Cooke , Brian Dennehy , Anthony Finazzo , Robert Gwaltney , Linda Harrison , Mal Jones , Alan Jordan , Barret Oliver , Tyrone Power Jr. , Shelley Spurlock , Herta Ware , Robert Short , Priscilla Ashley Behne , Harold Bergman , Fritz Dominique , David Easton , Chris Fuxa , Kelly Jasen , Richard Jasen , Tom Kouchalakos , Will Marchetti , Jack McDermott , Bruce McLaughlin , Ted Milford , Barrie Mizerski , Mike Nomad , Stephanie Oldziej , Patricia Rainier , Rachel Renick , Buddy Reynolds , Glenn L. Robbins , Glenn Scherer , Darcy Shean , Brian C. Smith , Jay Smith , Ryan Szurgot , Tony Vila Jr. , Patricia Winters , Bill Wohrman , Kevin Corrigan , Carlos González , Matt Ford , Madeleine Lee Gilford

Cocoon 2: The Return, like most sequels, relies a bit too heavily on one's familiarity with the first film. Without dwelling too long on Cocoon #1, we can observe that it ended with a group of senior ... read more read more...citizens heading for the distant planet of Antarea, hoping to find a new, rewarding and elongated life. Cocoon 2 picks up the action five years later: The Antareans return to earth to check on the damage caused to their life-regenerating cocoons by earthquakes. Coming along for the ride are the elderly couples whom we met in the first film. Also carried over from the first Cocoon are young ferryboat captain Steve Guttenberg and gorgeous Antarean Tahnee Welch, who resume their interplanetary romance. Oldster Jack Gilford, whose beloved wife died in Cocoon, likewise finds romance in the form of Elaine Stritch. A secondary plot involves an insidious secret government plan to exploit the Antareans, which is foiled by sympathetic researcher Courteney Cox. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Flixster Users

36% liked it

19,039 ratings

Critics

36% liked it

11 critics

PG, 1 hr. 56 min.

Directed by: Daniel Petrie

Release Date: November 23, 1988

Invite friends to see

DVD Release Date: June 1, 2004

Get It:

Stats: 353 reviews

report incorrect info

Photos

Cocoon: The Return
Upload a Photo | View All Cocoon: The Return Photos

Your Rating


clear rating

Flixster Reviews (353)

  • FilmFanatik
    December 27, 2010
    FilmFanatik
    A pretty decent sequel.
  • stormyweather980
    August 15, 2009
    stormyweather980
    It's hard to believe that "Cocoon 2 - The Return" isn't more popular. The main cast from the original "Cocoon" return to earth and plan to visit for a few days. While the main cast is visiting with their family and friends, some oceanographers find a cocoon in an ocean and take i... read moret back to research it in the labs. Once the others that are here visiting find out, they pledge to save it before they leave.
    While they're here on earth, they try to set Bernie up with a new woman, even though his dead wife, Rose, is still on his mind all the time. More than half of the ones that came back to earth decide to stay at the end of the movie. Alma Finley finds out she has a liking for taking care of kids while her husband, Joe, is out enjoying himself with the other guys. She gets hit by a car trying to save one of the kids from being hit, and ends up in the hospital on the verge of death. The doctor tells Mr. Finley that she probably won't make it through the night. That's when the most memorable scene from the movie takes place. Mr. Finley goes in there and with the help of some good special effects, sacrifices his life for his wife to live and take the job with the kids like she wanted to.

    Ben Luckett gets closer to his grandson by teaching him how to hit a baseball and to not listen to the other people telling him he can't do it, but to tell himself that he can. Ben's wife, Mary also doesn't want to go away from earth again.

    While "Cocoon 2 - The Return" might not be as funny or original as the first "Cocoon," it does have a few funny parts and succeeds in other ways. It's a lot more of a heartwarming movie than it is a comedy and it's pretty much a laidback version of the original "Cocoon." If you liked the original, I would definitely recommend getting "Cocoon 2 - The Return." Even if you didn't like the original, give this one a chance because it is a good movie. NOTE: That was my Amazon review from the year 2000. I have to say I don't remember much from this sequel, other than being amazed at the special f/x for the time, but I do remember feeling strongly about it for awhile after I saw it. I need and want to see it again.
  • YosemiteSamFan
    August 4, 2007
    YosemiteSamFan
    A load of fun, as the senior citizens from the original film come back to Earth to help their alien friends. The seniors have another chance to strut their youthfulness and visit their families - and some ponder their future. The cocoon-retrieval is a bit like Star Trek IV. It is... read more a touching film for grandchildren too!
  • garyX
    May 28, 2007
    garyX
    The old coots return to earth and boast about their hard-ons/breakdance/beat the kids at basketball blah blah blah. We saw all this in the first one, thanks.
  • deano
    March 13, 2007
    deano
    This film seems less enjoyable of senior folks' fantasy than the original.
  • sainttom93
    January 14, 2007
    sainttom93
    It's good to see Barret Oliver grown up --
  • superclerk25
    December 28, 2006
    superclerk25
    The aliens are back and they brought the old people with them.
  • EbertsLittleApprentice
    September 26, 2009
    EbertsLittleApprentice
    Shockingly not too bad a Sequel, "Daniel Petrie" mocked my thoughts, to a lesser thought of believing a second would ruin the first one entirely, yet it still left an impression and mark on me. I enjoyed the idea and plot of the second Cocoon, However it was not the original "Co... read morecoon".
  • sayers1977
    April 3, 2012
    sayers1977
    Not as sweet and innocent as the original this is still a pleasant return for all the main characters and the actors give it their all. The sub-plot of one of the cocoon's being discovered by scientists is unnecessary but at least it gives us a chance to see a pre-Friends Cox. Th... read moreere is nothing we haven't already seen in the previous film but I dare you not to shed a tear when Cronyn sacrifices himself for Tandy, especially when you know that they were actualy married.
  • ileo
    December 25, 2007
    ileo
    Great!

View All Cocoon: The Return Reviews

Critic Reviews

Polly M. Robertus
January 2, 2011
Polly M. Robertus, Common Sense Media

A muddled morality tale. Full Review

Clint Morris
March 4, 2004
Clint Morris, Moviehole

Near on par with the original...Sweet, Funny, Memorable

Ken Hanke
November 26, 2003
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

And here I thought the aliens ate them the first time.

Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
July 10, 2003
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice

Revolves around a group of older Americans who face important choices which will determine their destinies. Full Review

Bob Bloom
November 3, 2002
Bob Bloom, Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN)

Should never have come back.

Scott Weinberg
July 25, 2002
Scott Weinberg, eFilmCritic.com

Brings back the same cast, but forgets the heart, wit, wonder, and warmth. This is a soulless sequel.

March 26, 2009
Variety

Click to read the article Full Review

Janet Maslin
August 30, 2004
Janet Maslin, New York Times

Click to read the article Full Review

Desson Thomson
January 1, 2000
Desson Thomson, Washington Post

Click to read the article Full Review

Roger Ebert
January 1, 2000
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

Click to read the article Full Review

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Cast

More Like This

Click a thumb to vote on that suggestion, or add your own suggestions.

  • Contact
    Contact (47%)
  • Never Back Down
    Never Back Down (20%)
  • Cocoon
    Cocoon (86%)

More Movies like Cocoon: The Return

Facts

Submit a Fact | View All
    • Doug: So much for the dinosaur egg theory.
Submit a Fact | View All

Cocoon: The Retur... : Watch Free on TV

Cocoon: The Return Trivia

  • Who starred in Cocoon: The Return, Ace Venture: Pet Detective, and Scream?  Answer »
More Cocoon: The Return Trivia

Movie Quizzes

No quizzes for Cocoon: The Return. Want to create one?

Video Clips

No video clips yet. Want to upload one?

Meet Other Fans

Add Cocoon: The Return to favorites

Recent News

No recent headlines. Got one?

Recent Lists

Make a List |

View All Lists

Most Popular Skin

No skins yet. Interested in creating one?