Second childhood

COCOON

1985

Directed by Ron Howard

Written by David Saperstein and Tom Benedek

*BATTERIES NOT INCLUDED

1987

Directed by Matthew Robbins

Written by Mick Garris, Brad Bird, Brent Maddock, S.S. Wilson, and Matthew Robbins

Spoilers: moderate to moderately highish

Walt Disney, part XXXVII: It could be a stream of dog pee, and it would look like a river to us

HONEY, I SHRUNK THE KIDS

1989

Directed by Joe Johnston

Written by Stuart Gordon, Brian Yuzna, Ed Naha, and Tom Schulman

Spoiler alert: moderate

Jurassic Week, part III: It is in the rock that real scientists make real discoveries

JURASSIC PARK III

In which we learn, again, that sometimes the very best thing a movie can be about is itself.  Now, about that ending...

2001
Directed by Joe Johnston
Written by Peter Buchman, Alexander Payne, and Jim Taylor (based on characters created by Michael Crichton)
With Sam Neill (Dr. Alan Grant), Laura Dern (Dr. Ellie Sattler), William H. Macy (Paul Kirby), Tea Leoni (Amanda Kirby), Alessandro Nivola (Billy Brennan), and Trevor Morgan (Eric Kirby)

Spoiler alert: moderate

Honestly, I'm not sure there's a time in living memory when America was particularly keen on the idea of jetpacks

THE ROCKETEER

The Rocketeer is entertainment that's as programmatic as it could possibly be, but (importantly) it is still entertaining.  (Plus Timothy Dalton is in it, and he was in Flash Gordon!)

1991
Directed by Joe Johnston
Written by Danny Bilson, Paul De Meo, and William Dear (based on the comic book by Dave Stevens)
With Billy Campbell (Cliff Secord), Jennifer Connelly (Jenny), Terry O'Quinn (Howard Hughes), Alan Arkin (Peevy), Paul Sorvino (Eddie Valentine), Tiny Ron (Lothar), and Timothy Dalton (Neville Sinclair)

Spoiler alert: high