Chong Xiao Lou
1982 / 95m - Hong Kong
Action, Adventure
2.5*/5.0*
House of Traps poster

Watches

December 21, 2015

2.5*/5.0*

A title that is pretty self-explanatory. Though a pretty standard Shaw Bros production, Chang has shifted the focus away from core martial arts scenes to a more varied array of traps that have to be conquered by the protagonists. It's a welcome attempt to do something different, but in the end the intended effect isn't really there.

A corrupt prince orders the theft of a valuable jade relic. Once he has the object in his possession, he hides it in the House of Traps, a place nobody ever returned from alive. Min and his crew aren't afraid to take on this dangerous mission, and they plan a pretty risky operation to retrieve the jade relic. It will take all their strength and wits to return in one piece.

It sure sounded like a lot of fun, but the traps are a bit too DIY for my taste. If you have to rely on sound effects to make a trap appear more dangerous, you're not doing it right. Other than that this is a short and amusing SB filler flick. Maybe it's because I expected more from this one that it left me behind slightly disappointed. Cheh Chang fans should definitely give it a go though.