Marshall McClary, one of the most violent, racist, foul- mouthed Marshalls in Texas, is in the middle of resolving a hostage situation (by shooting everyone he sees) when the FBI agents show up, interfering with his negotiation, and ending the event with McClary being wounded and two of the criminals escaping. After hearing that the two fugitives has fled to Miami, McClary follows behind them, working with the local police and offending every single person he encounters.
The police try to arrest expert hostage negotiator Danny Roman, who insists he's being framed for his partner's murder in what he believes is an elaborate conspiracy. Thinking there's evidence in the Internal Affairs offices that might clear him, he takes everyone in the office hostage and demands that another well-known negotiator be brought in to handle the situation and secretly investigate the conspiracy.
Marcus Burnett is a henpecked family man. Mike Lowrey is a footloose and fancy free ladies' man. Both Miami policemen, they have 72 hours to reclaim a consignment of drugs stolen from under their station's nose. To complicate matters, in order to get the assistance of the sole witness to a murder, they have to pretend to be each other.