Directed by Ron Howard, Cocoon is a light-hearted sci-fi comedy which although quite watchable, also inexplicably garnered two major awards. An Academy Award for its special effects and an Oscar or Don Ameche in the role of best supporting actor. Perhaps 1985 was a pretty grim year for movies...or ... Read review
In 1985Cocoonwas a significant trend-bucker amongst summer blockbusters. Whereas other ... more
genre efforts were devised to lure a teenage audience into FX extravaganzas, this looked like one for their grandparents. Except that it turned out to be a gentle, a...
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In 1985Cocoonwas a significant trend-bucker amongst summer blockbusters. Whereas other ... more
genre efforts were devised to lure a teenage audience into FX extravaganzas, this looked like one for their grandparents. Except that it turned out to be a gentle, a...
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A group of delightful and very human people meet up with some very bizarre and ... more
not-so-human beings, who are visitors from a distant galaxy. They have come to Earth on a rescue mission to retrieve a secret which has laid hidden on the ocean floor for th...
A group of senior citizens residing in a rest home find their lives turned upside down ... more
after they are offered the gift of eternal youth by benevolent aliens in Ron Howard’s wonderful tribute to the human spirit. Brian Dennehy is Walter an alien ...
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Cocoon: A group of senior citizens residing in a rest home find their lives turned upside ... more
down after they are offered the gift of eternal youth by benevolent aliens in Ron Howard's wonderful tribute to the human spirit. Brian Dennehy is Walter an alien who returns to earth to rescue 20 of his friends now hibernating in cocoons off the coast of Florida. With the help of a charter boat captain (Steve Guttenberg) the cocoons are stored in a deserted swimming pool. When three men from a nearby retirement village (the charming Don Ameche Wilford Brimley and Hume Cronyn) sneak into the pool for a swim they discover what seem to be oversized oystershells in the water. Suddenly they feel physically and spiritually rejuvenated believing they've found the long elusive Fountain of Youth. The men's frisky behavior causes something of a controversy in the retirement village as residents are forced to choose between a second youth or accepting the more natural aging process... Cocoon - The Return: When the space travellers return to Earth on a special rescue mission they are reunited with their own families and friends who they left behind when they were offered the gift of eternal youth by benevolent aliens. To their delight they soon realise that Earth isn't the worst planet in the galaxy!
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Journey to the most wonderful place in the universe...home. In director Daniel Petrie's ... more
sequel to the smash hit 'Cocoon' the retirees who chose to leave earth to live forever return home for a temporary visit with their loved ones while their alien escorts attempt to rescue a cocoon dislodged by a pesky oceanographer (Courteney Cox). Don Ameche is back as Art Selwyn with his friends Ben Luckett (Wilford Brimley) and Joe Finley (Hume Cronyn) and their wives Bess (Gwen Verdon) Mary (Maureen Stapleton) and Alma (Jessica Tandy). They rediscover the value of human emotion and the fragility of their own lives as they visit with their old friends and remember what it's like to live on earth. As the group of friends reconsider what life would be like if they returned permanently they shop party and make some miraculous discoveries about the future of their relationships. Before they decide whether to stay on Earth or return to space they must help their alien escort Kitty (Tahnee Welch) rescue an alien cocoon from the hands of the government with the help of her old friend Jack Bonner (Steve Guttenberg). Once again the elderly friends must debate whether to stay or to go and consider whether it is better to die surrounded by the people one loves or live forever separated from family and friends.
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Science Fiction - Director: Hiroyuki Yamaga - Original Language: Japanese - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Ayako Kawasumi, Fujiko Takimoto
Production Year: 2007 - Science Fiction - Director: Francis Lawrence - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Alice Braga, Charlie Tahan, Dash Mihok, Will Smith, Salli Richardson, Willow Smith
Directed by Ron Howard, Cocoon is a light-hearted sci-fi comedy which although quite watchable, also inexplicably garnered two major awards. An Academy Award for its special effects and an Oscar or Don Ameche in the role of best supporting actor. Perhaps 1985 was a pretty grim year for movies...or perhaps I am just far too cynical and this movie is far better than how it appears on the surface.
The basic storyline is an update to ... ...in the lead roles and letting them refind their lost youth and exuberance. How? Well a couple of aliens land on the Earth with a purpose. They rent a large house with an indoor pool deep in the heart of St. Petersburg, Florida(like the human equivalent of the elephant's graveyard in the US so I'm told lol) and set off to look for something in the ocean. Whilst they are gone, a feisty bunch of old folks from the local rest home use the pool for their ... more
Directed by Ron Howard, Cocoon is a light-hearted sci-fi comedy which although quite watchable, also inexplicably garnered two major awards. An Academy Award for its special effects and an Oscar or Don Ameche in the role of best supporting actor. Perhaps 1985 was a pretty grim year for movies...or perhaps I am just far too cynical and this movie is far better than how it appears on the surface.
The basic storyline is an update to the fountain of youth idea, putting a bunch of geriatrics in the lead roles and letting them refind their lost youth and exuberance. How? Well a couple of aliens land on the Earth with a purpose. They rent a large house with an indoor pool deep in the heart of St. Petersburg, Florida(like the human equivalent of the elephant's graveyard in the US so I'm told lol) and set off to look for something in the ocean. Whilst they are gone, a feisty bunch of old folks from the local rest home use the pool for their midnight swims, breaking out of the home and into the house to do so. The aliens, lead by Walter(Brian Dennehey) rent a boat from Jack Bonner(Steve Guttenberg), and retrieve some strange rock-like cocoons from the ocean floor, placing them on their return into the pool. The old folks still break in and use the pool, despite the strange new additions and begin to notice strange things happening to them. The bondage of age seems to be dropping away and they can do all the things they used to do when younger...they are suddenly more youthful and vital...
Its not a fantastic movie, but its gentle and effective in what it tries to do. It wants to tug at your heart strings and that is exactly what it manages to achieve. The general performances here are good, as they ought to be because most of he cast have been plying their trade for a hell of a long time(people like Jessica Tandy and Don Ameche) and the scripting manages to not be TOO sickening and saccharine...but only just. Special Effects are another thing. Yes they are ok, but they they look like the left-overs from 'Close Encouters', a movie which was filmed almost ten years previous to this one. Had things not moved on by then? Guess not, if the Academy are anything to go by. I wasn't greatly impressed, but there you go...
Overall, its a good movie, which is fun for all the family. Do not expect high action thrills and spills, or aliens which are anything other than highly benevolent despite the fact that it soon becomes clear that the old folks are actually killing their bretheren by bathing in the pool. This is a family movie, and one you can feel safe leaving your kids in front of, knowing that there is nothing here which is going to cause offense etc. Its very much a feel good movie and one which will hold your attention better than most others of its kind at that.
Cocoon is one of the films I don't watch often, but love to see it when its on tv. Its heartwarming and humorous tale of old age people rediscovering their youth with the help of friendly ghost-like aliens that live in cocoons in a swimming pool. The old people of the town discover that by swimming in the water they become younger, and as with other films, its not long before the scientists want to capture the cocoons and use them in experiments, ... ...to their home planet. The film stars Steve Gutenburg, Brian Denehey, Don Ameche, Hume Kronyn and Jessica Tandy amongst others, and is a good all round family film. Some scenes are very funny, while others are truly heart wrenching. Well worth a look, if you like fantasy films and comedies you'll love this. It also spawned 2 sequels. ...
student 18.07.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Cocoon (DVD)
Advantages: Well made and often enjoyable Disadvantages: Teeters on the brink of sentimentality
I have trouble over reviewing "Cocoon" because I never honestly made my mind up about it. The plot involves a group of elderly people who realise that they can be rejuvenated by bathing in a nearby swimming pool. Unfortunately the pool is the work of extra-terrestrials, actually an incubator for alien eggs.
The substance of the film is the pensioners' rediscovery of their youth and the possible costs, and this is the kind of territory that could ... ...I can't decide whether it does means that the makers have succeeded in avoiding the most obvious pitfalls. It is, after all, nice to see a major film that takes older people seriously, in the middle of a youth-worshipping culture, but the fact that all the older characters want is their youth back kind of bursts the bubble. The best recommendation I can make is that you watch it yourself and make your own mind up, I suppose. ...
NeilHudson 07.01.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Cocoon (DVD)
Advantages: Not many Disadvantages: To many to list
O.K. so the films not that bad - perhaps its just me. Afterall the basic plot - Aliens leaving some of their kind behing millions of years ago and coming back to claim them - should apeal to the science fiction fan in me. But does it No. The problem with the film is its just to American. Not American funny(like indipendence day) - but American very anoying. The film moves at a steady pace introducing one anoying character after another. Has anyone ... ...film they trot out the same couple each time? Perhaps what anoys me the most is the fact that in the plot they have the makings of a very good film. Infact reading other reviews here just makes me realise how the director and scriptwriters went from a brilliant idea to a substandard film. ...
blue_silk 29.05.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful Review of Cocoon (DVD)
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ask for??
-Update-
The DVD's extra features are very notable. The special features play an important part to the DVD as a whole, as they include famous deleted scenes including the 'Alien Cocoon' sequence (which was removed and then re-introduced into the second release of the film). The remaining deleted scenes to my knowledge where cut due to time restrictions as I hear the original cut was over 3 hours long.
There is an audio commentary from the Director Ridley Scott's which was apparently the first ever commentary to be recorded for use on a DVD. He raises so interesting points about the making of the film although not much that can't be found in the extensive behind the scenes galleries and notes
Here is some extra information from Amazxon.
DVD Features:
• Special Feature Information ...
A group of senior citizens residing in a Florida rest home find their lives turned upside down when they are offered the gift of eternal youth by benevolent aliens. A warm tribute to the human spirit.
Release details
DVD Region
DVD
Studio(s)
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment; Deluxe Video Service - Fox
Theatrical Trailer, Scene Selection, Interactive Menus
Aspect Ratio
1.85 Wide Screen, 16:9 Wide Screen
Sound
Dolby Digital 4.1
Dubbing Sound
Dolby Digital 4.1 English
Award information
OSCAR
Best Actor In A Supporting Role 1986 (Don Ameche)
Professional reviews
Review
"...Howard brings a real sweetness to his subject, as does the film's fine cast of veteran stars....[The] season's reigning fairy tale..." (New York Times, p.C5, 21/06/1985)
"...A fountain of youth fable which imaginatively melds galaxy fantasy with the lives of aging mortals....COCOON weaves a mesmerizing tale..." (Variety, 19/06/1985)
DVD Description
A group of senior citizens residing in a rest home find their lives turned upside down after they are offered the gift of eternal youth by benevolent aliens in Ron Howard's wonderful tribute to the human spirit. Brian Dennehy is Walter, an alien who returns to earth to rescue 20 of his friends now hibernating in cocoons off the coast of Florida. With the help of a charter boat captain (Steve Guttenberg), the cocoons are stored in a deserted swimming pool. When three men from a nearby retirement village (the charming Don Ameche, Wilford Brimley, and Hume Cronyn) sneak into the pool for a swim, they discover what seem to be oversized oystershells in the water. Suddenly they feel physically and spiritually rejuvenated, believing they've found the long elusive Fountain of Youth. The men's frisky behaviour causes something of a controversy in the retirement village as residents are forced to choose between a second youth or accepting the more natural aging process. The ensemble cast of experienced actors, including Ameche, Brimley, and Cronyn as well as Cronyn's real-life wife, Jessica Tandy; Maureen Stapleton; Gwen Verdon; and the skeptical Jack Gilford all bring a dignity to the film's youthful, spirited theme. COCOON, one of the best films of the 1980s, is a heartwarming story that should be treasured for generations.
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