Johnny Red always wanted to be a scientist and work for NASA when he grew up. After several academic mishaps, Johnny is stuck in his suburban Pennsylvania town. When all other means of impressing the local community fail, Johnny decides to build a functioning time machine. Instead of using correct science, Johnny decides to base all of his research on action-adventure films of the 1980s and 90s. Only his girlfriend Penny and a five-year old neighbor believe in him. Johnny is humiliated on the news and discouraged by his old physics professor Howard Lorington. Lorington doesn't want Johnny to fail, he simply wants him to use real science instead of science-fiction. After Penny helps Johnny to see the error in his ways, he goes back to the professor to get the right scientific information. Working through the night, Johnny applies what he has learned from Lorington and is ready to launch the next day. He is greeted by hundreds of local residents who have come out to see their new hero.