During an investigation, private detective Shunsaku Ban and his nephew Kenichi travel from Japan to Metropolis—a restless high-tech city where people brutally persecute their robot cohabitants and a dictatorial force rises in power. The two are investigating Dr. Laughton, a scientist suspected of human organ trading, who is supposedly hiding there. Unbeknownst to all, Dr. Laughton has built a cutting-edge female android called Tima for the most influential man in Metropolis, Duke Red.

When Dr. Laughton's laboratory ends up in flames following an unforeseen incident, Shunsaku and Kenichi are separated while looking for survivors. Kenichi rescues a disoriented Tima and struggles to protect her from Duke Red's ruthless foster son, Rock, who pursues the robot girl. Unaware of Tima's true nature, Kenichi befriends her as a human being. Meanwhile, Shunsaku tries to reunite with the boy, unraveling dark schemes that evolve in the city's background—including the key role of Kenichi's protegee in Duke Red's ambitious goal for domination.

Metropolis premiered internationally at the Fantasia International Film Festival on July 29, 2001. The film debuted in the United States at the Egyptian Theatre on August 17, 2001. However, the official theatrical release in North America was made available by TriStar Pictures and Destination Films on January 25, 2002, in 10 major cities.

The movie won the Domestic Feature Film at the 1st Tokyo Anime Awards in 2002. In the same year, it was officially selected for the Annecy Film Festival and nominated in the Cristal for a Feature Film award category. It also won the Achievement Award at the 2023 Tokyo Anime Award Festival.

In Japan, Metropolis was released on Blu-ray and DVD by Bandai Namco Arts Inc.: a single DVD on December 7, 2001; a Blu-ray and DVD set on November 23, 2007; and a single Blu-ray on July 25, 2008. In North America, the film was released on a two-disc DVD set by Columbia TriStar on April 23, 2002. Sony Pictures published the Blu-ray version as a single disc on February 21, 2017. Mill Creek Entertainment also released a single Blu-ray disc on June 5, 2018, and a Blu-ray and DVD set on October 30, 2018.