In 1972 Vietnam, a helicopter carrying five Americans is shot down. The men, Captain David Nester (Steven Williams), Master Sergeant Ernest Franklin (John Wesley), Corporal Lawrence Opelka (Joe Michael Terry), Lieutenant Anthony Mazilli (Cosie Costa), and Colonel James Braddock (Chuck Norris), jump from the helicopter before it crashes, but are declared "missing in action."Ten years later, a ceremony for the "unknown soldier" is held in Washington, D.C., as families mourn their missing loved ones. In Vietnam, the five Americans are held captive in a prison camp run by Colonel Yin (Soon-Teck Oh), who violated the Geneva Convention, and refused to release them after the war. Col. Braddock warns Yin he will be held accountable for his actions because the war has been over since 1975 and that North Vietnam won and reunified Vietnam. Yin agrees to let them go if Braddock denounces America, and confesses to fabricated war crimes. When a prisoner named Harry tries to escape, he is burned alive by the Vietnamese while trying to cross a bridge. Braddock's hatred towards the Vietnamese intensifies after witnessing this.One of the prisoners, named David Nester, believes they have been forgotten by their country, and gives in to Col. Yin's demands. He suggests Braddock do the same to procure their release. His friends view Nester as a traitor. Sometime later, Yin tortures Corporal Opelka, firing an unloaded gun into his head. Opelka begs for mercy. Yin continues pressuring Braddock to confess to war crimes, and tries to break his spirit by telling him that his wife is about to remarry.Later, Yin orders Nester and Braddock to have a fistfight. Nester resists, but under the threat of losing privileges, he beats Braddock, who refuses to fight. Eventually Braddock defends himself and fights back. Over time, Yin continues to torture the prisoners, and Braddock asks that his men be left alone, and that he receive their punishments. Yin hangs Braddock from his feet and places a bag with a rat inside on his head. After a bloody fight, Braddock emerges with the dead rat in his mouth.Sometime later, a helicopter arrives at the camp carrying François, a Frenchman working with Yin dealing opium. Braddock sees a supply of weapons being unloaded from the helicopter, and knows that stealing them is their only means of escape. François demands that Yin kill the prisoners before they are discovered, and Yin takes him aside and chokes François for making him look weak in front of his men. Before leaving, François reports rumors of a search team looking for the Americans. In time, Yin taunts Braddock with a letter from his wife, and burns the letter in front of him. He then tells Braddock that fellow American, Corporal Opelka, is dead.Meanwhile, an Australian man spies on the camp, and photographs the prisoners. When he is seen, he asks to speak to Col. Yin, and introduces himself as Clive Emerson, a point man for a P.O.W. search mission. Emerson says his team is waiting for his signal to provide back up. Yin accuses the man of lying, but agrees to release the prisoners. When Emerson is alone with Braddock, he confesses that he is working alone. He tells Braddock where he left ropes to escape down a cliff, should anything happen to him. François returns in his helicopter, and recognizes Emerson. He tells Yin that Emerson has no rescue team. Yin executes Emerson.Sometime later, Ernest Franklin nearly dies from malaria, and Braddock accepts Col. Yin's offer of medication, in exchange for his signed confession to committing a war crime. Yin injects Franklin with medicine, and he quickly rebounds. After Braddock signs a confession, Yin promises to release him and his fellow captives the following day. Braddock remains distrustful, and when Franklin collapses, he surmises that Franklin was injected with poison. Yin admits to giving Franklin an overdose of opium, then pours gasoline on him and burns him alive.The next day, Braddock fakes his own death by hanging himself in his cell. When a guard opens the door to investigate, Braddock breaks the man's neck and escapes. He attacks two more guards and makes his way across a bridge. Yin learns of his escape but believes he will be found in the heavily guarded jungle. He searches for Braddock by helicopter. Braddock steals weapons from a supply hut while a peasant creates a distraction, then sets off bombs throughout the prison camp, and frees Anthony Mazilli. Braddock burns the bridge, and finds the ropes left behind by Emerson. Mazilli lowers himself to freedom while Braddock stays to fight. Back at the POW camp, François refuses to continue searching for the escapees, and Yin kills him.While hiding in the jungle, Braddock comes upon Corporal Opelka, whom he thought dead. The men work together to exact revenge. Yin's guards capture Mazilli, and use him to lure Braddock. However, Braddock stays hidden as guards prepare to shoot Mazilli. Captain Nester, who has been obeying Yin's every command, asks to kill his former compatriot. Nester aims his gun at Mazilli, but shoots the guards instead. A gunfight ensues, and Nester is shot to death. Mazilli escapes and joins Braddock and Opelka, reporting that Nester was loyal in the end. Braddock distributes guns to Mazilli and a group of prisoners, and they attack the camp. They target Yin in his bunker, and throw grenades inside. Upon searching the rubble, they find the remains of Yin's leg, and assume he is dead. The Americans board the helicopter.Meanwhile, Yin emerges from a trap door in the floor of his hut, and Braddock appears behind him. Yin requests a challenge, without weapons, to see who is the "better man." Braddock sentences him to death, and a fight ensues. Braddock beats Yin nearly to death, then leaves him behind. As Braddock walks toward the helicopter, he ignites a remote explosive, and blows up Yin. Braddock and the rest of the American MIA's board the helicopter and take off to freedom.