Could there have been a better ending? (spoilers)

That's what I'm not so certain about... What would a presence of a female really add to the story? Right now, there are two things that I can think of: something for the guys to drool over - and being a girl myself, I prefer the characters (Snake in particular, attractively effeminate as he is) the way they are... And, second possibility - romance. I think I've read that Centipede&Snake being a husband and a wife was the original intention. That may have added some interesting extra tensions - and in my opinion it would be the only way to introduce a well-working romance element into the story without changing it too much... However, the way it's dealt with in the movie has other benefits (besides more material for girls to drool over, there are definitely some very interesting homosocial tensions that make it up for the lost heterosocial content, IMHO). It all boils down to who prefers what... It wouldn't be a better movie. Just a slightly different one. It's just my opinion, of course... :-)

And even though I understand your frustration with the judge not ending up in an iron maiden or iron coat, I still think that a more traditional ending with the judge getting what he deserved would be not as good, story-wise. The only thing I regret is that Chang Cheh didn't make a better point of it... Like - a shot of Wang Lung Wei appointing a new chief officer or something... Anything. Rather showing that some people get away with anything than letting Kuo Chui just say it...:-) But that's only a minor thing. I am more than satisfied with "The Five Venoms" as Ni Kuang, Chang Cheh and others made it.

Regarding that "gay" thing, I think that was a reaction rather to pedicab driver's post than yours.