Make no mistake, Shaolin Handlock is a potboiler -- the revenge premise is very familiar, characters are drawn in the broadest comic-book strokes, and the story relies on some odd contrivances to push the plot forward. That said, Shaolin Handlock also happens to be a wildly entertaining potboiler. David Chiang and Lo Lieh are old hands at this sort of fare and their charismatic, energetic performances go a long way toward pumping the material up. Better yet, I. Kuang's script pursues its action-oriented agenda with gusto, packing in lots of exotic gimmicks into the kung fu scenes, and Ho Meng-hua directs it all with a sense of kinetic flair. It even throws in some motorcycle stunts and a boat chase for a little extra spice. In short, Shaolin Handlock isn't the most original or inventive kung fu flick to roll down the pike but it brings plenty of action and energy to the table.