Cocoon: The Return ** (1988, Don Ameche, Wilford Brimley, Courteney Cox, Hume Cronyn, Steve Guttenberg, Barret Oliver) – Classic Movie Review 10,201

Director Daniel Petrie’s 1988 senior citizen sci-fi sequel Cocoon: The Return sees the welcome return of the spaced-out Florida wrinklies, with more or less everybody (the entire main cast) returning from the original, but not original director Ron Howard or writer Tom Benedek.

Five years after these gutsy oldies flew off in a spaceship at the end of Cocoon, Art Selwyn (Don Ameche), Ben Luckett (Wilford Brimley) and Joe Finley (Hume Cronyn) are back from the planet Antarea on a four-day stopover on Earth to visit lonely old Bernie Lefkowitz (Jack Gilford), who would not go with them to collect the magic cocoons left to mature under the waves.

Cocoon: The Return is several notches down from its smashing predecessor Cocoon (1985), no thanks to Stephen McPherson’s dull, struggling screenplay that mostly fails to excite or to find any new gold.

But, yet, the golden oldie cast still delights and it is a pleasantly cute film for young or old, which tugs enjoyably enough at the heartstrings.

Also in the cast are Courteney Cox, Steve Guttenberg, Barret Oliver, Maureen Stapleton, Elaine Stritch, Jessica Tandy, Gwen Verdon, Tahnee Welch, Linda Harrison, Tyrone Power Jr, and Mike Nomad. Brian Dennehy briefly reprises his role as Walter the alien leader, apparently as a favour to the cast and producers, accepting no payment.

Cocoon (1985) director Ron Howard refused to participate in the film, thinking a sequel was unnecessary, and directed Willow (1988) instead. Producers Richard D Zanuck and Lili Fini Zanuck, were also initially opposed to a second film.

This time the writers are Stephen McPherson (story and screenplay) and Elizabeth Bradley (story), base the screenplay on the characters created by David Saperstein in his novel.

It is Jack Gilford’s final film before his death on 2 June 1990, aged 81.

Wilford Brimley (1934–2020).

RIP Wilford Brimley (1934–2020), who plays Ben Luckett. He died on 1 August 2020 in St George, Utah, from diabetes complications, aged 85.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 10,201

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