Sam Macon (Fred Ward) is an NYPD cop. One night, he breaks up a mugging, and then is pushed into the river in his car.Sometime later, he awakes in a hospital, with a new face. MacCleary (J.A. Preston), the man driving the vehicle that forced Macon into the river, tells him his new name is Remo Williams (based on a name on a bedpan), and that Remo now works for an organization that doesn't officially exist. MacCleary says Remo is ideal because he has no family and has military background. Remo steals an ambulance, but Mac is in it. He takes Remo to meet Harold Smith (Wilford Brimley), the head of the organization CURE.Smith tells Remo that the government is corrupt, and Remo will be their troubleshooter. Smith has computer access to all networks, and Mac is his liaison. Mac takes Remo to a building and tells him to kill the man inside, handing him a pistol. Remo slips in and find an elderly Korean man, but no one else. He realizes the Korean is his target and tries to kill him, but he's too fast. The man is Chiun, and is his trainer. Chiun is able to dodge every shot that Remo aims at him and eventually disarms him. He moves with amazing speed, throwing Remo into a nearby piano. Mac enters and asks for a quick assessment -- Chiun tells him that Remo is in horrible shape, has little hand-to-hand ability and poor reflexes but there is a glimmer of hope.Smith researches George Grove (Charles Cioffi), a defense contractor with criminal suspicions, especially on the HARP defense system. He notices someone trying to access the same information - Major Rayner Fleming (Kate Mulgrew). She tells her boss, General Scott Watson (George Coe), and reminds him that she will be attending a weapons demonstration by Grove.Remo begins his training. Chiun tells him he is a practitioner of an ancient (fictional) martial art, sinanju. His demeanor is rude and harsh, insulting Remo at every turn and restricting his diet to rice. However, Remo gradually comes along. They work on balance and breathing, and mutual respect begins to develop, although Chiun won't admit it. Remo gets good enough to dodge bullets and run without leaving tracks.The Grove weapons demonstration shows grave flaws with the weapons. One of the soldiers is killed during the exercise when his weapon (a variation of the Steyr AUG) backfires. Fleming is suspicious, especially after she finds the weapon's bolt and notices that is was mangled during the backfire. Grove tells General Watson to bury the report. Grove defends himself when asked about HARP, mentioning the CD-18 demonstration planned for the following week at Mount Promise. Grove gets annoyed with Fleming, and asks Stone (Patrick Kilpatrick) to trail her. Stone gets photos of Fleming, Remo and Mac, and Grove orders him to kill Remo. Remo notices Stone's diamond dental work, too. Remo uses his new skills to defeat several men hired by Stone atop the Statue of Liberty, but Stone escapes. Remo complains to Smith and Mac, and they tell him they all have an escape plan - Remo's is death by Chiun. He's obviously angered by the news, and walks out on Chiun.Mac and Remo infiltrate a Grove warehouse, battling extremely clever dogs and ravenous rats. Remo finds a satellite, which is subsequently destroyed by lasers, alerting the guards. They escape, but Mac is shot in the back. Mac gives Remo a computer disk for Smith to analyze, and is captured, but commits suicide before telling Grove any information of importance.Smith realizes HARP is a fake and a waste of resources and money and tells Remo to go after Grove. He meets Fleming at Mount Promise, and they are locked in a steel gas chamber by Wilson (Michael Pataki), one of Grove's goons. After watching the two fall nearly unconscious from the gas, Stone dons a mask and walks into the chamber to finish Remo off. Remo grapples with him briefly, ripping his mask off and using Stone's diamond tooth to cut the glass to escape.During their escape from the facility, they find Chiun and steal a truck with no brakes. Remo and Fleming jump out, but Chiun cannot open the door. He's dazed, but otherwise unhurt, and inadvertently calls Remo "my son". Remo continues his mission, calling Chiun "little father".The military chase Remo and starts firing at him. Remo rides a tree trunk being pulled through the woods on cable. He drops the log and overturns the jeep with Grove and Watson, then races to the lake to escape. He dodges bullets fired by Grove and disarms him. He tosses Grove on the Jeep and lights in on fire, walking away. It explodes, killing Grove. On the beach, Remo finds Fleming who tells him Chiun went looking for him. They see Chiun, surrounded by troops. Suddenly Chiun runs across the water to the dock, telling Remo "You must run VERY fast!" Fleming asks who they are and Remo responds by saying "Would you believe we're the good guys?" They sail off, Chiun saying they must hurry so he can catch the latest episode of his favorite soap opera.