一位美国外交官的女儿在国外卷入了一场革命。
重案组探员寇派克•麦斯(威廉•鲍德温 William Baldwin 饰)迎来了混乱的一天,先是一大早就被女友芮塔(萨尔玛•海耶克 Salma Hayek 饰)划清界限赶出家门,又因不良记录贷款无望,麦斯因职责所在为在大街上中流弹的律师凯蒂(辛迪•克劳馥 Cindy Crawford 饰)做笔录,岂料对方也是个尖牙利嘴的狠角色。当晚麦斯发现白天的记录不完备,只得赶赴凯蒂家中,居然遇到凯蒂家中爆炸,麦斯与持枪歹徒一番混战救下凯蒂,由此卷入了间谍团伙的追杀。原来凯蒂近期带离的一桩民事案件,涉及一艘船的归属,而该船是国际间谍团伙用于水底窃听的设备,于是遭到团伙追杀。在一流间谍团伙的追杀下,麦斯无法请求支援,只能依靠自己的力量保护凯蒂,并为殉职的同事报仇。
Based on the novel by Karel Capek, the prominent Czech writer of the early 20th century who coined the word robot for his play R.U.R., the story revolves around a discovery of Krakatit - a powerful explosive - by Prokop, an experimental scientist who, following an accidental explosion in his lab, slips in and out of delirium. When he realises that, in a delirious period, he has given the formula for making Krakatit to one of his colleagues, he tries to find the man, who does not realize how dangerous a thing Krakatit is. In the process, he nearly gives his discovery away again to foreign interests, a group of anarchists, and even greater forces of darkness...