2 gibbles out of 5

Director: Xie Yu Chen

A vague “plot” concerning the hunt for some kind of treasure backs up this average chop-socky flick. There’s nothing much new here for genre fans, but this is also a good balance between silly and serious for anyone trying to get a good idea about this whole Shaolin business. The hugely over-dubbed sound effects are always pleasing, the voice acting works in that Spartan way, and the actions scenes are shot pretty well with some fun choreography. A fight scene in an old man’s house is particularly nifty set-dressing. Nothing new, but (aside from the minor plot asides near the beginning and middle of the movie) definitely watchable.