As with Robert Rodriguez's previous family film The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl, this tale follows the fortunes of a bullied schoolboy, Toe Thompson (Jimmy Bennett). Toe finds a rainbow-coloured "wishing rock" and proceeds to cause havoc in his neighbourhood, where all the local people (including his parents, played by Leslie Mann and Jon Cryer) work for the sinister Mr Black (James Spader) on his multipurpose invention the Black Box. The fragmented structure (the film consists of five jumbled episodes, or shorts) may be confusing for some youngsters and Rodriguez too obviously follows the whims of his own imagination, irrespective of the effect on the action. But strong performances from Cryer and Mann and a quirky relationship between Bennett and and Jolie Vanier, who plays Spader's daughter, Helvetica, provide sufficient amusement to keep you watching.

A young boy's discovery of a colorful, wish-granting rock causes chaos in the suburban town of Black Falls when jealous kids and scheming adults alike set out to get their hands on it.