When his daughter is kidnapped, a retired assassin is drawn back into the life he gave up. To rescue her, he must confront his former rival.
A mechanic learns that his daughter, whom he thinks is at college, has dropped out. He tries to call her but, when someone else answers the phone, he goes to where she's staying and finds a photo of his daughter with another girl, so he looks for her and asks her where his daughter is. She says that his daughter hooked up with a guy from New Orleans, so they go there to find him. When some men refuse to answer his questions, they beat him, but he fights back, which amazes the girl. Eventually they find the guy who tells them where his daughter might be; on their way, some men shoot at them. He learns that they work for a man named Omar who wants him. He still tries to find his daughter while Omar sends his best men to get him.—[email protected]
A retired New Orleans crime boss and widowed father Paul (Jason Patric) is forced to team up with his best friend Sam (John Cusack) to return to the crime world when his daughter Beth (Gia Mantegna) is kidnapped by an old rival Omar (Bruce Willis).Omar has cultivated a fervent hatred for Paul, after he accidentally killed his wife and daughter. The wife and daughter took the bomb loaded car that was meant for Omar. Paul tried to stop the family, but it was too late and the car blew up.
Beth is studying outside of town & keeps in constant touch with her dad. Paul, a mechanic, speaks to his daughter Beth on video chat. Though she seems stressed and distracted, she says that she is fine. The two make plans for her coming visit back home after finals. Paul later receives a letter from the college which indicates that Beth has not paid tuition, and a stranger answers her phone.
Paul doesn't contact the police and flies to where his daughter lives to personally investigate his daughter's disappearance. At Beth's apartment, he finds a picture of her and another young woman whom he assumes to be one of her friends.Paul starts looking for her best friend Angela (Jessica Lowndes) whom he finds in a bar. Angela tells Paul that Beth was taking drugs from a guy named Eddie (Tyler Jon Olson) in New Orleans. Paul offers to pay Angela $500 to take him to New Orleans, Beth's last known location, and identify her dealer, Eddie.
Paul drives to New Orleans with Angela. When Angela points out one of Eddie's friends, Paul demands Eddie's location. The man refuses and attacks Paul, knocking him to the ground. Paul viciously beats the man and his two friends. Although disturbed by the show of violence, Angela helps Paul set up a meeting with Eddie through a cell phone that they take from his friend.
At a club, Eddie denies any knowledge of Beth and ignores Paul's threats until his uncle, who witnessed Paul kill seven armed men twenty years ago, convinces Eddie to talk. Eddie says that Beth has moved on to harder drugs than he supplies and lives with a local drug kingpin known as The Pharmacy (Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson). Paul pays Angela the $500 he promised her and tells her to return home, but she refuses, as she wants to know what has happened to her friend. Paul reluctantly accepts her continued help.
Omar's men see Paul questioning Eddie & inform Omar, who instructs them to bring Paul to him. Paul & Angela are attacked by Omar's men. Paul instead causes them to crash, and he interrogates the passenger, who reveals that he works for local crime-boss Omar. Paul tells the passenger to warn Omar to stay out of his way and kills the driver as he lies helpless and wounded on the ground. Angela insists that Paul explain himself.
Paul reveals to Angela that 20 years ago Omar & Paul were rival crime bosses. Omar wanted to take over the city & the violence had got out of control, taking 200 lives. Omar had to be stopped, but Paul ended up killing his wife & daughter instead. Paul left everything & retired, but apparently Omar never forgave Paul. Now, Omar desires revenge, and Paul knows that Omar will stop at nothing to use his daughter to get to him.
At this point it is not clear whether Omar kidnapped Beth. It only seems that Omar's men saw Paul in New Orleans & were asked by Omar to bring him in. Paul approaches his old associate Sam for a safe place for Angela, while he chases The Pharmacy in a bid to find Beth. Paul recovers weaponry stashed with an old contact and confronts The Pharmacy.
Sam tells Angela that back then, Paul was "The Prince" of his territory in New Orleans & when Omar tried to take over the entire town, Paul was the only one who resisted him.
Paul reaches The Pharmacy & finds Beth in his custody, passed out under the influence of heroine. The Pharmacy is working for Omar & Omar is expected to reach there anytime. The Pharmacy reveals that Omar had paid him to detain both Paul and Beth. Paul starts shooting & kills The Pharmacy. Paul escapes with Beth before Omar gets there.
Pretty soon word is on the street that Paul & Beth have been sheltered by Sam. Omar plans his attack. As his men attack Sam's hideout, Omar's main man kidnaps Beth & takes her away.Paul leaves to rescue her. At Omar's business, Paul defeats several waves of henchmen before facing Omar himself. Omar demands to know why Paul murdered his family and threatens to kill Beth in retaliation. Paul says that they were simply collateral damage and offers to let Omar live if he gives up Beth.
Mark (Rain), Omar's bodyguard and adviser, engages Paul in hand-to-hand combat; the two seem evenly matched, but Paul finds a gun and kills Mark. Beth elbows Omar in the ribs and escapes from his grasp, freeing her father to take a shot and kill Omar. Beth and her father are reunited again. Angela embraces them both outside the building, and the three leave together.
