A tough police detective escapes from custody handcuffed to a foul-mouthed car thief after being framed for the murder of his ex-wife. He must now find the real killer and prove his innocence.

Diplomats, soldiers and other representatives of a dozen nations fend off the siege of the International Compound in Peking during the 1900 Boxer Rebellion. The disparate interests unite for survival despite competing factions, overwhelming odds, delayed relief and tacit support of the Boxers by the Empress of China and her generals.