 When a Chinese ganglord s son is murdered in Oakland, his brother, Han (Jet Li), breaks out of a Hong Kong prison to find out how it happened and to avenge his death. He arrives on controlled turf, a waterfront run by the rival gang-lords Ch u Sing (Han s father) and Isaak O Day, and their respective Chinese and African-American crime organizations. When it is clear that something bigger is involved, Han teams up with O Day s daughter Trish (Aaliyah) to continue the hunt for justice.