A young boy escapes from an orphanage to find two magical creatures in the jungle. As he bonds with the younger one, he discovers that poachers are out to kidnap the creatures and he strives to rescue them.
When his brother asks him to look after his young son, Clifford, Martin Daniels agrees, taking the boy into his home and introducing him to his future wife, Sarah. Clifford is fixated on the idea of visiting a famed theme park, and Martin, an engineer who helped build the park, makes plans to take him. But, when Clifford reveals himself to be a first-rate brat, his uncle goes bonkers, and a loony inter-generational standoff ensues.