A 12-year-old boy with a penchant for invention travels into the very amazing future in this animated family comedy directed by Stephen J. Anderson. The 3-D effects in this latest venture from Disney's new digital-animation studio make select portions of this film a visual treat (even if wearing the glasses is cumbersome). But not even the deliriously winsome retro-future set pieces can make the story pop off the screen. There's a scramble of too many poorly developed threads -- sad orphans; families overflowing with wacky members; lost objects; and a villain with the remarkably bland name of "Bowler Hat Guy." The now-dull, now-frantic mélange isn't likely to engage kids or adults. And children under a certain age may be flat-out mystified by a noggin-busting key plot component: the "space-time continuum" -- a phrase actually used in the film. (AH) 
