Notorious Alonzo Crane had been dubbed "The Motion Picture Bank Robber" by the press because he modeled a bank robbery after a Steve McQueen movie he'd seen...except that he got caught. The authorities offered Crane a deal if he'd roll over on his accomplices but he refused -- and got twenty-five years to life.

Ten years into his sentence, Crane is offered a chance to leave prison when a corrupt warden, in league with a prison gang, gives him a secret assignment. If Crane can pull it off, his prison record will be wiped clean. Now all he has to do is enlist the help of former cellmate Duffy, a small-time hustler with big-time ideas, and Trixie, Duffy's gorgeous girlfriend with a cocaine habit and a nose for trouble. And if Crane can successfully mimic the plot of an action film he's seen, this time he might stand a chance....