A mix of fighting styles in a mixed bag film

Lee Tso Nam, the kung fu director who brought us THE HOT, THE COOL & THE VICIOUS, is the man behind this Taiwanese-made follow-up that features not one, not two, but three hard-hitting martial arts stars in its cast. It's also a film that showcases three differing styles (dragon, snake, and spider) which immediately adds interest for this viewer. The American title is CHALLENGE OF DEATH, but I prefer DRAGON AND SNAKE IN THE SPIDER'S WEB, which is a title that has it all.

In terms of the staging, it's a routinely ordinary production, with a couple of rivals forced to team up as they track down some arms dealers. The plot is a light piece of fluff with a few average fight scenes mixed up with some of the typical lowbrow comedy and cross-dressing shenanigans familiar from this genre. The two stars are the unlikely-named Delung Tam and Don Wang, each of them proficient in a single style, while the villain of the piece is regular kung fu star Chang Yi, whose spider technique seems to be heavily indebted to Spider-man! 

As is inevitably the case with these films - you could even put money on it - by far the best part of the production is the final extended two-on-one fight scene. It's set in a wood and features all manner of aerial acrobatics and power moves, and by itself serves as a fitting showcase for the three styles mentioned in the title. The cheesy, super-power fighting techniques bring to mind the later excesses of the ninja action genre. A shame the rest of the film couldn't match this high point.

Mandarin-language cinema across Mainland China, Taiwan, and Singapore explores historical reflection, cultural identity, and personal sacrifice, often expressed through poetic visuals and sweeping narratives. In Mainland China, this takes the form of allegory and large-scale epics that reflect on national history. Taiwan emphasizes intimate modernist realism, generational change, and the search for identity. Singapore contributes stories of migration, multiculturalism, and the negotiation of tradition in a globalized city.

The martial arts subgenre features martial arts techniques, choreography, and combat as central elements of the story. These stories often revolve around skilled martial artists who use their expertise to navigate challenges, seek revenge, protect others, or engage in epic battles.

The action genre features fast-paced, thrilling, and intense sequences of physical feats, combat, and excitement. The characters of these stories are involved in daring and often dangerous situations, requiring them to rely on their physical prowess, skills, and quick thinking to overcome challenges and adversaries.

The adventure genre features exciting journeys, quests, or expeditions undertaken by characters who often face challenges, obstacles, and risks in pursuit of a goal. Adventures can take place in a wide range of settings, from exotic and fantastical locations to historical or even everyday environments.

The drama genre is a broad category that features stories portraying human experiences, emotions, conflicts, and relationships in a realistic and emotionally impactful way. Dramas delve into the complexities of human life, often exploring themes of love, loss, morality, societal issues, personal growth, with the aim to evoke an emotional response from the audience by presenting relatable and thought-provoking stories.

Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)

Lee Tso Nam's Challenge of Death features students of two different schools of martial arts, Snake Fist and Dragon Fist, teaming up in order to stop a drug smuggler who fights with the dreaded Spider Claws.

The Biggest Movies and TV Coming in September

"The Gentlemen" and "Slow Horses" return this fall, while the "Reacher" spin-off series "Neagley" makes its debut. See our guide of the biggest Fall TV and streaming releases.

2026 Fall TV and Streaming Watch Guide

&quot;The Gentlemen&quot; and &quot;Slow Horses&quot; return this fall, while the &quot;Reacher&quot; spin-off series &quot;Neagley&quot; makes its debut. See our guide of the biggest Fall TV and streaming releases.

Get a closer look at these actors from their many TV and streaming series roles.

Streaming Stars, Then and Now

Yi-Min Li in The Seven Commandments of Kung Fu (1979)

Long quan she shou dou zhi zhu

Photos4

Top Cast26

User reviews4

More like this

Related interests

Storyline

Top picks

Details

Tech specs

Contribute to this page

More to explore

Recently viewed