Cocoon: The Return
Returning alien friends and senior citizens navigate family ties, pregnancy, aging, and a dangerous cocoon recovery mission in a tender science-fiction sequel.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- gentle
- sentimental
- wistful
- nostalgic movie night
- family viewing
What critics said
Critics generally found the returning performances appealing but considered the sequel repetitive and substantially weaker than the original.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Art, Ben, Joe, their wives, and Bernie return five years after the first adventure, with the plot explicitly built around their second goodbye.
The Antareans' cocoons and the seniors' renewed weaknesses turn extraterrestrial technology into a framework for confronting old age and earthly attachment.
The return from space is interwoven with visits to family, an unexpected pregnancy, expectant parents, and the friends' difficulty readjusting to Earth.
The Antareans must recover cocoons threatened by an earthquake while a biologist company has taken one for research.
Films like Cocoon: The Return, and why
Cocoon
Shared blend of senior-centered comedy, science fiction wonder, family relationships, and gentle emotional stakes.
The Man with Two Brains
Shared warm, accessible science fiction, intergenerational relationships, extraterrestrial visitors, and sentimental comedy-drama.
batteries not included
Shared family-friendly alien premise, human domestic concerns, and optimistic emotional storytelling.
Movie Details
- Director
- Daniel Petrie
- Release Date
- 1988-09-13
- Runtime
- 116 min
- Rating
- 6.5 / 10 (1042)
Cast
- Don Ameche
- Wilford Brimley
- Courteney Cox
- Hume Cronyn
- Jack Gilford
- Steve Guttenberg
- Barret Oliver
- Maureen Stapleton
- Elaine Stritch
- Jessica Tandy
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Cocoon: The Return about?
- Returning alien friends and senior citizens navigate family ties, pregnancy, aging, and a dangerous cocoon recovery mission in a tender science-fiction sequel.
- What is Cocoon: The Return like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Cocoon: The Return as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Cocoon: The Return violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Cocoon: The Return.
- What did critics think of Cocoon: The Return?
- Critics generally found the returning performances appealing but considered the sequel repetitive and substantially weaker than the original.
- Which films are like Cocoon: The Return?
- Films with a similar feel include Cocoon, The Man with Two Brains, and batteries not included.
- How long is Cocoon: The Return?
- Cocoon: The Return runs 116 minutes.
- Where can I watch Cocoon: The Return?
- In United States, Cocoon: The Return is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
