Aliens, disguised as humans, rent Steve Guttenberg's boat to help them recover some alien cocoons from the ocean. Then they store them in the bottom of a swimming pool next door to a retirement home. A group of oldsters from the retirement home take a swim in the pool and find themselves feeling youthful and reinvigorated.Charming, pleasant, and touching film from Ron Howard that's a showcase for a fine cast of elderly actors. Don Ameche, Hume Cronyn, Jessica Tandy, Maureen Stapleton, and the other oldsters are all great but Wilford Brimley is the standout. It could be argued Steve Guttenberg is only in the movie to give it some youth appeal, to say nothing of his 'sort of romance' with Tahnee Welch (daughter of Raquel). But he doesn't detract from things at all and is likable throughout the picture. It's a truly unique and wonderful movie. One of the many classics made in the '80s, a decade that is vastly underrated by film snobs.

I first saw this movie in theaters in 1985. I never forgot it. It is really a great movie that has stayed in my mind all this time. When I saw the opportunity to buy it at a discount, I grabbed it. Tonight I watched it again, and being my age, it inspired me again. The love the couples have for each other is tremendous and the camaraderie of the friendships is truly something that few have ever experienced. I really love that the older you get does not mean that life is gone. "I got a hard-on", you got one too" God that made me laugh and think. Why should life end just because we get old? I have always believed we were not alone in this universe. As Jody Foster says in "Contact" "Do you think there is life on other planets? Her dad replies "I don't know, Sparks. But I guess I'd say if it is just us... seems like an awful waste of space." I have always believed there are others out there. This movie only inspires that belief and nurtures the thought that they don't want to harm us in any way. They are explorers just as we are. They want to learn and you know…there is nothing wrong with that.

An E.T. fairytale for the elderly with a rejuvenating therapeutic gambit for visual and subconscious entertainment and a belated fulfillment to slam the ageism towards the senior. Setting against a Sci-Fi backdrop, the special effects might not be cutting-edge even at its time (in a post-STAR WARS era, it is an insurmountable pinnacle, the same could be deduced now are in a post-AVATAR era), but serves benevolently to entice the concentrations and unleash a wacky but improbable plot of the expedition to the mystifying eternal longevity. The extra- congenial extraterrestrial Antareans are merely a wishful thinking, as human behavior has no exception will spoil their plan to rescue their companions sooner or later, their counter- behavior is inexplicably dumbfounded to be taken seriously. The film has locked two Oscars, one for the visual effects, another is an utterly surprising Best Supporting Actor win for Don Ameche (whose pivotal showcase is a stupendous street-dance stunt in the film, apart from which there is scant room for him to testify his flair), which could be divined that it is no more than an acclaim to the film's pandering penchant for the demography as most academic members are over-50 white male, this film might help them to mitigate the fear of aging uselessly and hopelessly. Anyway the entire prestigious cast has stuck together to make the indulging fantasy more refreshing than off-putting, ironically the film itself has not aging too well, unlike the characters in the sanitarium, after a minimal 27 years span, it seems that the film backfires on Ron Howard and the team behind it, who in my opinion is an excellent Hollywood hack than a venerable filmmaker.

I recently learned that this film was directed by Ron Howard. Being a fan of his movies, Ron Howard tests his skill in making this sci-fictional film as realistic as possible. 'Cocoon' as the title of the film goes centers on a group of senior citizens who get unexpected vigor on swimming in their neighbor's pool. A superb cast and Steve Guttenberg of (three men and a baby)fame giving that comedy punch. It is a all time family entertainer. The concept original and considering lot of sci-fiction movies emerged in the 80's , this film still stands for three things- oldies coming in form, exploring the unknown and last purpose in life.