A tough Moscow police detective, Ivan Danko, is on the relentless pursuit of a Georgian drug kingpin, Viktor Rostavili, who has been causing mayhem with his drug trafficking operations. Danko's mission takes a sharp turn when Rostavili kills Danko's partner during his escape, eventually fleeing to the United States to continue his criminal activities. Determined to bring the merciless criminal to justice, Danko follows the trail to Chicago, where he finds himself a stranger in a very different kind of urban jungle. With his rigid Soviet methods and stoic demeanor, Danko is a fish out of water in the chaotic and freewheeling American city.

In Chicago, Danko is paired up with a wisecracking and irreverent Chicago cop, Art Ridzik. The partnership between the disciplined and serious Soviet detective and the laid-back American cop is strained and contentious, full of cultural clashes and mutual frustration. Despite their differences, the unlikely duo must navigate through the gritty underbelly of Chicago's crime-ridden streets to track down Rostavili. As they chase leads and bust criminals, the polar opposite policemen engage in a grudging respect for each other’s abilities, realizing they must rely on their unique strengths and tactics to stay alive and take down the common enemy that has entangled both their lives.