该片根据1972——1975年间在ABC电视台播出的功夫西部片美剧《功夫》（Kung Fu）翻拍，该剧由大卫·卡拉丁（David Carradine）主演，其故事主线是少林武僧金贵祥（Kwai Chang Caine）远赴重洋来到美国西部，寻找自己同父异母的兄弟，其间穿插了不少他少年时期习武经历的闪回。
据悉，新版《功夫》电影的故事与原剧正好相反，主角不是从中国来美国寻亲，而是从美国去中国寻找生身父亲，在这个过程中他一度身陷囹圄，经过一番打斗才生存下来。

A black soldier comes home to Harlem after a tour in Vietnam and discovers that his wife had become a heroin addict and died of an overdose. Infuriated, he gathers three of his ex-GI buddies and they lay out plans to fight the drug dealers.