The Mid-Autumn Festival is approaching, where boxers will gather to compete for the title of “King of the Boxer World.” In order to maintain the status of the Five Venoms Clan, one of its leaders - The Snake (aka Liu Shen) - played by Lo Lieh, suggests to the chief that they should use the clan’s treasured weapon to ensure martial world domination. That weapon is the Five Venoms Spider. When the chief refuses, recognizing that Lo Lieh usually plays a villain in his movies (OK, that’s not really his reasoning), the Snake must devise a plan to acquire the Spider weapon. That plan is to spread rumors that the Spider has reappeared, then let the righteous boxers (the good guys) find it for them.

As word gets around, the righteous schools and clans take action. Wudang Clan leader, Priest Tiansuan (Cheng Miu), sends his top student Fei Yingxiong (Yueh Hua) to Shaolin Temple to meet with Master Wenkong (Ku Feng) to investigate the matter of the Five Venoms Spider’s reappearance. On his way to Shaolin, Mr. Fei bumps into someone who says they have a friend of a friend who can get some information about the Five Venoms Clan. In a case of mistaken gender and unknown identity, this turns out to be the clan chief’s daughter, Hong Susu (played by Ching Li). But, with a romantic interest developing, she keeps this secret to herself. Susu and her father (the Five Venoms chief, played by Wong Hap) have a discussion regarding the whereabouts of the Spider, and through some mal-intentioned eavesdropping, this crucial information gets back to the Snake. Now that the Snake knows where the clan’s treasure is, it’s time to let all hell break loose!

Mr. Fei’s younger brother, Yingjie (Wong Chung), is sent with another Wudang classmate named Quixin (the sexy Lily Li) to further investigate, while Liu Shen (the Snake) sends maps of the Spider’s location to the Qingyi Clan, as well as to the Heisong Clan.

If you’re confused, you should be. Chu Yuan films tend to do that.

So, why are all these people so obsessed with this weapon, the Five Venoms Spider? It comes wrapped in the 7th generation chief’s seal; and when you open it, a thick smoke pours out, letting your opponent know that you mean fucking business. It emits powerful and debilitating rays, along with spider webs that act like barbed wire laced with sulfuric acid. Anybody within short proximity is toast, unless they know how to defend it.

Yingjie finally makes his way to the Spider, but only after zigging and zagging his way through deathtraps, explosions, and puzzles which require stepping on certain platforms in proper sequence. Unfortunately, as he tries to make his way out of dodge with the most valuable weapon in the martial world, his efforts fall short as he gets nabbed by someone else looking for the treasure.

One of the most attractive features of a Chu Yuan film (aside from the aesthetic/cosmetic beauty), is that you never really know where it’s going to end up. Some dose of moral value usually makes its way to the forefront, and The Web of Death is no exception. “The Magic Blade” deals with a hero’s temptation of power and riches. The dramatic ending of “Killer Clans” examines loyalty and betrayal. “The Web of Death”, however, turns its focus on character judgement and forgiveness in a setting of catastrophic events. Many have wronged each other in some way, and it’s becomes necessary to sift through everyone’s version of the truth in order to make life and death decisions. Who’s telling the truth? Who deserves to die? Who is the real enemy?

On most levels, “The Web of Death” delivers like you would expect from a Chu Yuan film. But before kissing his ass, I must admit that I’ve seen much better from him. There’s really no main character in the film, so it tends to leave the viewer with no emotional attachment to anyone. Instead, your interest lies purely in wanting to know what’s going to happen next. Viewers of kung fu films like to “root” for someone to be victorious, and this pretext doesn’t seem to exist in the film. Also, while Tang Chia (director of action masterpieces like Shaolin Prince and Shaolin Intruders) is credited with the film’s fight sequences, the action isn’t particularly memorable.

That said, Chu Yuan has a way with the medium of film. It’s a bundle of canvasses through which to tell a story. Those include lavishly colorful settings, numerous characters and character relationships to absorb, intrigue and deceit, and of course, a thousand ways to create havoc with explosions and poisons. There are several Chu Yuan films that better immortalize his cinematic and storytelling genius; but for any fans of his or Shaw Bros., “The Web of Death” will surely entangle you and not disappoint.

Praise aside, the only things hampering Yuen's movies were the byzantine plotting and cluttered cast. You can't entirely blame him, because the majority of his movies were based on convoluted Gu Long novels, a few of which I've read, and which themselves can be very confusing. But it can still be hard figuring out who's who in Chor's movies, and what's going on. Web of Death is no exception, even though it doesn't seem to be based on anything by Gu Long.

The sets are the most interesting thing about this movie. That's not an insult to the film; these sets are fantastic, even beyond the usual magnificent Shaws set design. There's a trap-filled dungeon, a clan headquarters that seems to be colossal, and fog-shrouded cauldrons with pools of acid. I can only imagine what martial chaos Chang Cheh could've wrought on such sets, but Chor Yuen's movies are more introspective, complex, and feminine than Chang's bloodthirsty tales.

Another interesting aspect of this movie is the similarity of its plot to the Shaw Brothers classic Five Venoms. Both of these movies came from the pen of I Kuang; Web of Death in 1976 and Five Venoms in 1978. You could consider Web a prologue to Venoms. It's about the Poison Clan, but whereas Five Venoms is a kung-fu mystery of the highest order, Web of Death is a high-brow swordplay/romance/B-grade horror movie.

The plot concerns the evil leader of the Snake Clan's search for the fabled Five Poisons spider, the most powerful weapon in the martial world. It's just a little spider in a weird box, but it glows red, screeches, and ensnares its victims in a radioactive cobweb. It can also apparently do all sorts of wacky stuff. The Poison Clan leader won't let him have it, as the spider was banned ages ago and is now hidden. So the Snake Clan leader devises a ruse to find it; he makes it seem that other martial artist clans are out seeking the spider. This causes all sorts of confusion, fatal mistakes, and plotting in the martial world.

In the middle of this, a love story brews between virtuous swordsman Fei and the Poison Clan leader's daughter, Hong. At times this part of the story takes on aspects of a kung-fu version of Three's Company. Lots of mistaken identity, holding of secrets, and misunderstandings. All the movie really needs is a topknotted Normal Fell as Mr. Roper, who could live upstairs from these crazy kids.

The two plot threads come to a head when Fei is framed for the massacre of an escort agency, and the Snake Clan leader, now in possession of the spider, comes after him. The final battle is good for a while, but then the spider is unleashed. The special effects in this part are entertaining solely due to the cheese factor. We're supposed to buy it when this fake-looking spider ensnares all of the master swordsmen in a radioactive web. Unfortunately, there is only way to kill the spider, and doing so gives the movie its requisite tragic ending.

Cheng Lee, as the clan leader's daughter, is the true star of the film, with lead-billed Yueh Hua mostly providing back-up. Lo Lieh is the black-garbed villain, and he's perfect as the power-mad leader of the Snake Clan. He also has the best outfit in the movie, though I did like the wiry Centipede Clanleader's "centipede" shield. I would've preferred to see more of these clan leaders in action, but when people do fight, it's generally along the fantasy side of things. Lots of leaping and bolts flying from fingertips.

Action-wise I didn't find this movie on par with Chang Cheh, though surely others will disagree. I guess it comes down to genre preference. For me, I tend to like just about anything which begins with that majestic Shaw Brothers logo, save for the odd movie or two. I do prefer kung-fu to swordplay movies, but it's not a hardcore preference. That being said, I still found the action scenes to be over too quick in this one, and would have loved to see the violent epic Chang Cheh might have created with these sets and costumes.