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Members of a retirement community realise that their health
is being restored by their regular visits to a nearby - and
privately owned - swimming pool. Little do they realise that
the healing powers are being bestowed by alien cocoons resting
at the bottom of the pool...
The
sci-fi aspects of Cocoon amount to little that hasn't
been seen before, even back in the 1980s. Aliens in skin suits,
albeit less friendly ones than we have here, had at the time
been seen recently in the TV series V, while the spaceship
seen at the end of the movie is a less elaborate version of
the one that appeared in Close Encounters.
However,
the success of this picture lies with the exquisite performances
of the elderly members of the cast, principally Don Ameche,
Wilford Brimley, Hume Cronyn, Jack Gilford, Maureen Stapleton
and Jessica Tandy. It is both amusing and refreshing to see
these OAPs engaged in frank discussions about their various
bodily functions. The sexual awakening that forms part of
their rejuvenation is handled in a thoroughly charming and
inoffensive way by director Ron Howard.
Among
the younger cast members, Steve Guttenberg - who was never
one of Hollywood's greatest actors - more than serves his
purpose as an average Joe, Jack Bonner, who unwittingly rents
his boat to aliens. Meanwhile Tahnee Welch provides sex appeal
by the bucket-load as his love interest, Kitty.
Perhaps
appropriately, given the average age of the cast, the pace
of this movie is decidedly sedate. You might even describe
it as sluggish towards the end, as the narrative slips gear
into full "weepie" mode.
The
only extra on this DVD is the film's original theatrical trailer.
However, the very reasonable asking price is comparable to
that of a widescreen VHS purchase, so I can't really grumble
(or else I might begin to sound like a pensioner myself).
Richard
McGinlay
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