Richie Rich

In the world of opulence, where wealth knows no bounds, Richard "Richie" Rich Jr. (Macaulay Culkin) reigns supreme as the ultimate heir apparent. As the scion of philanthropist and Imagineer Richard Rich, Sr. (Edward Herrmann), worth a staggering $70,000,000,001, Richie's life is one of indulgence and extravagance. However, beneath the surface of his lavish lifestyle, Richie struggles to form meaningful connections with peers his own age. His loyal butler, Herbert Cadbury (Jonathan Hyde), serves as a constant companion, attempting to fill the void left by his lack of friendships.

A glimmer of hope arises when Richie's father intends to modernize and gift United Tool, a factory he recently acquired, to its workers as a token of goodwill. The dedication ceremony presents an opportunity for Richie to mingle with a group of sandlot kids playing baseball. Unfortunately, the overbearing head of security, Ferguson (Chelcie Ross), intervenes, yanking Richie away from the fun. Cadbury wisely cautions Ferguson against being too harsh on the young boy.

In his efforts to strengthen their bond, Richard tries to spend quality time with his son whenever possible. He even commissions the Rich family's resident genius, Professor Keenbean (Michael McShane), to create a device called the "Dadlink," capable of pinpointing Richard's location in an instant, allowing Richie to stay connected to his father despite his frequent absences.

Meanwhile, a sinister plot unfolds as Laurence Van Dough, the grasping CFO of Rich Industries, schemes to pilfer the Rich family fortune, rumored to be stored in the Rich family vault. Utilizing Ferguson's expertise, Van Dough concocts a plan to detonate a bomb hidden among the gifts intended for Queen Elizabeth II on the Rich family's plane (a Douglas DC-3 christened the Billion Dollar One). This diabolical scheme sets the stage for a thrilling adventure.

In an attempt to alleviate Richie's loneliness, Cadbury makes a heartfelt suggestion to Regina, Richie's mother. As a result, Richie is invited to stay in Chicago with his new sandlot friends for a weekend of fun and discovery. This fateful decision allows Richie to form genuine bonds with the kids, ultimately earning their friendship and paving the way for a more fulfilling life beyond the confines of his opulent upbringing.

As Professor Keenbean's revolutionary Smellmaster 9000 device translates scent into sonic waves, the bomb on Billion Dollar One is detected with unprecedented precision. Richard Seaword seizes the opportunity to hurl the explosive out the window, but its detonation proves catastrophic, severing a portion of the plane's tail and sending the luxurious jet plummeting into the Atlantic Ocean. Richie Sr. and Regina, remarkably, survive the crash and clamber onto one of the aircraft's inflatable life rafts. Unbeknownst to them, their sudden demise is assumed by Van Dough, who seizes control of the Rich empire, callously abandoning the family's philanthropic endeavors. This includes shuttering the recently revitalized United Tool factory, a vital lifeline for the sandlot kids' families. Enraged by this betrayal, Richie, now leader of the Rich corporation as the sole surviving member of the family, sets his sights on reclaiming his inheritance and restoring the family's charitable legacy.

However, Van Dough remains undeterred, viewing Richie's ascension to power as a minor setback. He cunningly exploits the fact that Richie is still underage, relying on Cadbury's influence to limit his authority. Meanwhile, Cadbury finds himself framed for the Rich family's murder and subjected to ruthless persecution by Van Dough's goons. The loyal staff of Rich Manor are summarily dismissed, effectively isolating Richie within his own home and rendering him a prisoner of his own domain. Enter Professor Keenbean, whose skepticism towards Van Dough's motives prompts him to secretly aid Richie in his bid for freedom.

In the dimly lit basement laboratory of Rich Manor, Keenbean eavesdrops on Van Dough's Machiavellian schemes with Ferguson over a game of pool. The professor becomes privy to their plan to eliminate Cadbury and stage his own demise. Seizing the opportunity, Keenbean hatches a plan to smuggle Richie out of the manor and facilitate Cadbury's daring escape from prison. Equipped with a cryptic Latin card and a potent mixture concocted by the professor, Cadbury prepares for his jailbreak. When confronted by one of Van Dough's henchmen, Cadbury surprisingly displays remarkable physical prowess, rendering the thug unconscious. Donning the goon's leather biker attire, he reunites with Richie, their newfound allies, and even begins to develop a romantic connection with Richie's mother. United in their determination to reclaim the Rich estate and vanquish Van Dough's tyranny, they vow to stop at nothing to achieve their goal.

As Van Dough's plans begin to unravel, he discovers Cadbury's daring escape and enlists the help of Ferguson in a tense confrontation with the professor. The pair binds Keenbean tight and threatens to subject him to his molecular Reorganizer, a device capable of transforming garbage into whatever is typed in - in this case, a makeshift bedpan. The professor calmly reveals that the vault's lock can only be opened by Richard and Regina's voices, leaving Van Dough scrambling for an alternative.

Meanwhile, Richie finds himself isolated from his parents after the crash, left to navigate the Dadlink with a broken receiver. When he finally manages to repair it, Ferguson intercepts the signal, severing Richie's connection and plunging him into uncertainty about his parents' whereabouts. After Keenbean's daring rescue from captivity, Richie and his friends cleverly sneak back into Rich Manor, only to be shocked by the revelation that Van Dough had anticipated their arrival and orchestrated the rescue of Richie's parents. Held at gunpoint, Van Dough forces the elder Rich family members towards the vault while Ferguson and his men take Richie and his friends captive.

As tensions escalate, Keenbean employs his remarkable inventions, including ultra-adhesive substance Cementia and remote-controlled RoboBee, to thwart Ferguson's sinister plan and save Richie and his friends. With the prospect of saving his parents driving him forward, Richie seizes a bag filled with Keenbean's gadgets in a last-ditch effort to intervene.

Van Dough's desperation eventually leads him to Mount Richmore, a majestic stone portrait of the Rich family, where he hopes to find a treasure trove worthy of his ambitions. However, upon discovering that the vault contains nothing more valuable than childhood memories and mementos, Van Dough is consumed by fury. Demanding an explanation for this perceived disappointment, he discovers that the Rich family's vast wealth is instead invested in banks, the stock market, and real estate - a revelation that underscores their lack of attachment to material possessions.

In a desperate bid to claim the riches he believes are rightfully his, Van Dough attempts to shoot Richard and Regina. Richie intervenes, but Van Dough's bullets barely faze him, thanks to the protective properties of one of Keenbean's inventions. As the stakes reach a fever pitch, Richie finds himself face-to-face with Van Dough, ready to confront the ruthless villain head-on.

As the chaos caused by Keenbean's innovative creation subsides, the Rich family seizes the opportunity to make their getaway. However, their escape is short-lived, as they find themselves under relentless attack while navigating the treacherous slope of the mountain. The duo of adversaries, comprising Ferguson - his attire now a patchwork quilt of towel fragments courtesy of Cementia - and a high-powered rock-blasting laser that had been utilized to craft the majestic mountain vault, prove to be formidable foes. Cadbury's quick thinking and reflexes ultimately allow her to disarm Ferguson and safeguard the Rich family, while Van Dough finds himself dangling precariously from above, desperately clinging for dear life as Cadbury takes aim at him.

Despite Richard's initial reservations about resorting to violence, he begrudgingly gives Richie permission to return fire, which results in Van Dough being subsequently decked by Regina and apprehended. The Rich family is finally able to catch their breath and regroup.

In a heartwarming display of camaraderie, Richie joins his new friends from the United Tool team for an impromptu game of baseball on the lush grounds of Rich Manor (with Cadbury serving as their coach and Keenbean officiating as umpire). The young boy's impressive skills are on full display as he hits a home run that catches the attention of Van Dough, who is busy tending to his garden alongside Ferguson in a work release capacity.