The movie takes place in 1940s Shanghai, where a wannabe gangster named Sing (played by Stephen Chow) tries to make a name for himself. After being kicked out of his gang, Sing moves to a new neighborhood, where he meets a beautiful woman named Mulan (played by Zhang Ziyi) and her eccentric neighbors. However, their lives are threatened by a powerful gangster, the "Beat-It" gang, led by the ruthless Lao Ma (played by Sammo Hung).