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The film's plot was loosely based on the plot of Casablanca.
Barb Wire (Anderson) owns the Hammerhead, a nightclub in Steel Harbor — "the
last free city" in a United
States ravaged by the Second American Civil War — and she brings in extra
cash by hiring out as a mercenary
and bounty hunter. Her
club is raided by Chief of Police Willis (Xander Berkeley), who is looking for the
fugitive Dr. Corrina "Cora" Devonshire (Victoria Rowell). Devonshire, a former
government scientist, has information about a bioweapon being developed by her
former superior, Colonel Pryzer (Steve Railsback) of the Congressional
Directorate; she is trying to escape to Canada in order to make this information public.
Meanwhile, Cora Devonshire has turned up at the Hammerhead. She is
accompanied by Axel Hood (Temuera Morrison), a "freedom fighter" whom
Barb had known (and, it is implied, loved) at the outbreak of the war, but the
two were separated soon afterward. Axel is now married to Cora, and is trying to
help her get to Canada. They are trying to find a contraband pair of contact lenses which will
allow Cora to evade the retinal scan at the Steel Harbor airport. The
lenses pass through the hands of several lowlifes before also ending up at
Barb's nightclub.
Rather than give the lenses to Cora and Axel, Barb makes a deal with "Big
Fatso" (Andre
Rosey Brown), the leader of a junkyard gang: Fatso wants the lenses, which are
worth a fortune on the black market, and Barb wants a million dollars and
an armed escort to the airport, where she plans to get on the plane to
Canada. But Fatso double-crosses Barb; when Barb, Axel, and Cora show up at the
junkyard to make the swap, Colonel Pryzer and his storm troopers are also there,
along with Chief of Police Willis. Willis makes a show of arresting Barb and
Cora, but instead of putting handcuffs on Barb, he slips her a hand grenade. Barb uses the
grenade to kill Fatso and cause enough confusion to allow Barb, Axel, Cora, and
Willis pile into Barb's armored van and lead the Congressionals on a car chase, culminating in a
hand-to-hand fight between Barb and Colonel Pryzer atop a moving crane. Pryzer
falls to his death while Barb escapes just before the crane explodes.
In the end, the party makes it to the airport, where Barb reveals that she
still has the contact lenses. She gives them to Cora, and Cora and Axel get on
the plane to Canada while Willis and Barb remain on the rainswept tarmac.
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