In a dystopian future where crime is non-existent, Officer John Spartan (Sylvester Stallone), "the Demolition Man," is renowned for his violent methods. After being framed for a crime he didn't commit, he is cryogenically frozen and released decades later into a technologically advanced and highly controlled society where even minor offenses can result in severe consequences.
A sociopathic criminal named Simon Phoenix (Wesley Snipes), who was also frozen at the same time as Spartan, is revived and begins a reign of terror. Spartan is defrosted and released from prison to stop Phoenix, despite his old school nature being at odds with the peaceful and pacifistic society of the future.
Throughout the movie, Spartan grapples with the vast cultural and technological changes society has undergone and forms an alliance with Lenina Huxley (Sandra Bullock), a police officer from this new world. They uncover a conspiracy to maintain control over the population through mind-numbing entertainment, and it becomes a race against time for Spartan to stop Phoenix and expose the truth before society's carefully crafted peace crumbles.