Chang Cheh's late-period films with the "Five Venoms" are often considered to be straightforward fight extravaganzas but House Of Traps offers an interesting variation on that norm. The main reason is the script, a twist and turn-laden affair that plays more like the Gu Long adaptations that director Chor Yuen was doing around the same time. Like those films, the storyline it lays out offers plenty of court intrigue, a large ensemble of characters who sometimes aren't what they seem to be and an array of sudden turnabouts that drive the plot. Cheh rises to the challenge of this tricky narrative by keeping the pacing fast and the fighting brutal: the finished product delivers plenty of eye-catching action setpieces without having to sacrifice the intricacies of its plotting. All the "Venoms" acquit themselves nicely, delivering the right kind of comic-book performances the material needs and making several dazzling, acrobatic displays of martial arts. That said, the big scene-stealer of the film is Kuo Choi, who brings a sly sense of humor to his mystery-man role. Finally, and most importantly, the film's action will keep genre fans pleased: there are plenty of duels to the death with exotic weapons and the title house is tricked out with all sorts of lethal killing devices that remind one of the villains' lairs in James Bond movies. In short, House Of Traps is a keeper for martial arts film fans and colorful enough that novices might enjoy it, too.