Zhang Yimou is one of my favorite directors, known for his use of color and breathtaking visuals in his works, like Hero and House of Flying Daggers.
this film is not like those films. Soldiers are color coded according to duty, an insanely unrealistic notion...and so too are the monsters that serve as the primary antagonists.
oh, and don't forget the whole white savior thing. If you love a good Chinese military film, watch something else, like Red Cliff.