Time travelling animated Disney adventure about a young boy searching for family life in the future. Orphan Lewis is a twelve - year - old inventor who has created a 'Memory Scanner' that he hopes can capture memories of his real mother. Stolen from him by the Bowler Hat Guy, a figure from the future, Lewis is helped by the mysterious Wilbur Robinson, who transports him to his future world in his time - machine. While staying with Wilbur's eccentric family, Lewis soon gets the chance to track down his invention and save both the day, and the future.