The Western World is one of three giant theme parks built on the remains of American nature. There is also the Roman World and the Medieval World. For $1,000 a day, tourists can entertain themselves to their heart's content. The robots that inhabit these amusement parks can be raped, killed, loved, shot, and chopped up with swords. You can even befriend them. They never fight back and have no emotions. But suddenly, something breaks in the well-oiled mechanism of the attraction. A computer malfunction spreads like the plague. The robots begin a rebellion.

Hong Kong police officer John Wong suffers from a rare disease that is slowly but surely paralyzing his right arm. Since he needs that arm to shoot criminals, Wong is preparing to resign, but suddenly learns that his former partner has been killed in Malaysia. Finding his friend's killers is a matter of honor, and Wong takes on the last case of his career.

Louis Bloom is trying to find a job. After seeing an amateur film crew filming a car accident, he trades his stolen bicycle for a camera and films the aftermath of a carjacking to sell to a local television station. News director Nina buys the footage and convinces him to continue working. It soon becomes clear that Louis will stop at nothing to get truly worthwhile material...

Special robots called Labors were invented for construction work, but criminals adapted them for combat. To cope with the wave of crime, a mobile police force was organized, which uses Patlabors—a police version of construction robots equipped with a revolver cannon and an electric shock baton.

The wizard Merlin gives Lord Uther Pendragon the magical sword Excalibur, which allows him to become king. At a banquet celebrating the alliance between Uther and the Duke of Cornwall, Uther falls in love with Igraine, the duke's wife. The next day, Uther unsuccessfully besieges the castle and asks Merlin for help in using magic to spend at least one night with Igraine. The wizard decides to help, but asks for a high price: their child will belong to him. Igraine gives birth to a son, whom Merlin takes away. The duke's betrayal does not go unnoticed — no one trusts Uther, and he is attacked. Before his death, he thrusts Excalibur into a stone and proclaims that the sword can belong only to him. However, Merlin enchants the sword, promising that whoever pulls it from the stone will become king. The wizard decides to name the baby Arthur and predicts that he will become king.

Raymond, a wealthy and influential man, begins courting Barbara Collins, a widow. But she should not be fooled by his romantic advances—in reality, Raymond is carrying out a mission for a mysterious organization that dreams of gaining control of a certain alien power, which will be possessed by Barbara's child.