For those wondering what the title means, skip tracing is the process of locating a person's whereabouts for any number of purposes. And true to its title, director Renny Harlin's latest offering is the journey of a by-the-book detective Benny Chan (Jackie Chan) as he trails an American conman, Connor Watts (Johnny Knoxville), in order to process the arrest of a notorious criminal known as The Matador. Narrated in a non-linear manner, the film begins in Hong Kong with Benny failing to save his best friend and partner Yung (Tsang) from the trap laid out by a mysterious underworld don, The Matador.But before dying, Yung makes Benny promise to take care of his young, motherless, daughter Samantha (Bingbing Fan).Nine years later, Benny is still obsessed with trying to reveal the identity of the criminal and bring justice to his lost friend. His investigation soon leads him to believe that the man he wants is actually a business tycoon Victor Wong (Winston Chao), but due to lack of evidence, he can't pursue the matter further. Meanwhile in Macau, an American conman and a gambler Connor Watts, is being chased by Russian mobsters.Watts' path crosses that of Benny's and before he gets transported to Russia, he witnesses a murder in a hotel. Soon, Watts is accused of the murder and Benny is accused of being his accomplice. Samantha, who is working as an undercover agent at the lavish hotel hoping to find some connection between its owner, Wong and her father's death, is taken hostage by the mobsters. And, Benny is forced to track down Watts in Russia and bring him back to Hong Kong.
