Rapid Fire

The film opens in Thailand, with Antonio Serrano, Nick Mancuso, a mafia drug distributor, visiting long-time associate Kinman Tau, Tzi Ma, a drug kingpin. Serrano is having troubles and wants them to work together, but Tau does not reciprocate.

Turned off from politics after witnessing the death of his father at Tiananmen Square in China, Los Angeles art student Jake Lo, Brandon Lee, is lured to a party of Chinese pro-democracy activists. There, he witnesses Serrano killing party sponsor Carl Chang, Carl Chang, who was an associate of Tau. When Serrano and his men attempt to kill Jake, he swiftly disarms them using martial arts techniques. Jake is placed under protective custody by federal agents, who coerce him into coming to Chicago and testifying against Serrano.

When the agents at the safe house are revealed to be corrupt, Jake escapes through the window and encounters a young police detective named Karla Withers, Kate Hodge. Withers’ partner, Lieutenant Mace Ryan, helps Jake evade his pursuers and reveals that he had been pursuing Tau for 10 years.

Jake is persuaded by Ryan to help him exploit Serrano’s FBI ties and obtain information about Tau’s next shipment. Though the sting operation is successful, Jake is nearly killed in a barrage of gunfire and assaults Ryan after he reveals his involvement was not necessary. Later that night, Karla invites Jake to her apartment and shows him his father’s confidential file. After an intimate discussion, they realize their feelings for each other and have sex.

Meanwhile Ryan and his team lead a raid at the revealed location of the next shipment: Tau’s laundry factory. Both the lovemaking and the events of the raid are shown alternately as they occur in actual time, culminating with Serrano being murdered in his cell by one of Tau’s henchmen.

Jake, Ryan and Withers subsequently team up to bring down Tau once more. Though Ryan and Withers are captured by Tau’s men, Jake rescues them and eventually kills Tau at a train platform. He and Karla then evacuate Ryan from the burning factory and ride to the hospital together in an ambulance.

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 11:28