Den 3. oktober 1993 besluttede de amerikanske fredsbevarende styrker i det borgerkrigs- og sulthærgede Somalia - under FNs kommando - at foretage en isoleret aktion i Mogadishu for at tilfangetage to af krigsherren Mohamed Aidids nærmeste medarbejdere. Støtte blev sendt ind over byen i skikkelse af to Black Hawk kamphelikoptere, men da de blev skudt ned af håndbårne missiler, ændrede missionen karakter fra almindeligt kaos til en desperat kamp for at redde de nedskudte piloter fra helikopterne og for at få alle styrker trukket ud af byen igen.
Efter at have fingeret sin død rekrutterer en teknologimilliardær et team af internationale agenter til en frygtløs og blodig mission for at vælte en brutal diktator.
Los Angeles politiassistenten Joe Bornowski (Sylvester Stallone) får sit liv vendt op og ned, da hans sprælske mor Tutti (Estelle Getty) kommer til byen på et af sine sjældne besøg. Mor får snart ommøbleret Joes ungkarlehybel og blander sig i hans affærer, hvilket er pinligt for Joe og glæder Gwen (Jobeth Williams), som er hans overordnede og veninde. Joe får flere problemer, da Tutti overværer et mord og uventet bliver hans makker, fordi hun nægter at oplyse noget, medmindre hun får lov til at deltage i efterforskningen.
Hvis lokummet virkelig brænder, så sender hæren John Sands. På trods af talrige dødsensfarlige missioner for sit land, bliver det besluttet, at Sands skal have sin hukommelse slettet. Det synes han selvsagt ikke særlig godt om. Derfor flygter han. Og så går det ellers over stok og sten
Spike Lees fotograf gennem mange år, Ernest Dickerson, er med denne barske gangsterfilm selv gået over i instruktørfaget. Han fortæller om King David, en af gadens forbrydere, som myrdes kort efter, at han er kommet ud af fængslet med ønske om rehabilitering. En håbefuld forfatterspire (David Arquette) får fat i nogle bånd, den myrdede bandit har optaget. I en række brutale flashbacks gengives historien om King Davids kriminelle og voldsomme liv.
A biker's brother is killed while investigating the kidnapping of a young boy, the byproduct of a war between two crime families. The biker vows to get revenge by finding the kidnapped boy and destroying the two families.
A man searching for a stolen army payroll is joined by several men after the reward money. One of the pursuers, after killing a ranch foreman, elopes with the ranchers' daughter. Enraged at the shooting of his foreman and convinced that his daughter was kidnapped, the rancher leads a posse after his daughter. When Apaches attack the thieves and their pursuers, the rancher's posse is forced to side with his daughter's new husband and his friends.
A young, determined sheriff and his posse chase a gang of murderous train robbers, and a kidnapped woman into New Mexico.
A group of copper miners, Southern veterans, are terrorized by local rebel-haters, led by deputy Lane Travis. The miners ask stage sharpshooter Johnny Carter to help them, under the impression that he is the legendary Colonel Desmond. It seems they're wrong; but Johnny's show comes to Coppertown and Johnny romances lovely gambler Lisa Roselle, whom the miners believe is at the center of their troubles.
In a small western town our hero Durango delivers his prisoner to the jailhouse and then goes to the local saloon where the lady saloon owner Joanne has eyes only for him. But Durango only has eyes for his bride-to-be Lucy. Four masked men attack Lucy's father's farm and steal Lucy's dowry. They kill Lucy and her parents after the father strips the face mask from one of the bandits. A pocket watch is stripped from one of the bandits by Lucy's father and this is the only clue that Durango will have to revenge his love... With Joanne's help can Durango avenge himself?
Two incompetent Western outlaws engineer several failed crimes, including a botched stagecoach holdup. Fred Williamson, a tough-guy perennial in blaxploitation movies, does a rare comedy turn as a blundering patsy to Richard Pryor's slick con man.
A pair of outlaws are on the hunt for some loot they know is missing from a robbery. Outsmarting and killing anyone who tries to foil their plans.
A former gunslinger comes to the aid of ranchers battling a murderous land baron.
Idaho Kent, an agent of the pony express company, is asked to reach Sacramento with proof against a dishonest politician candidate for the local elections. Several people, paid by the corrupt man, try to stop him.
Bill Ralston arrives in town planning to settle down but quickly gets caught up in the fight between the townspeople and Poe Daggett and his gang. He takes the job of town Marshal and soon brings law and order. When Daggetts men ambush him he kills Poe's brother. Poe then kills Bill's friend Brant and this leads to the showdown.