The film opens with an epic zoom in from the Universal logo Earth all the way to the Great Wall of China.
The Tao Tei assaulting the Great Wall in the first battle, with the Nameless Order displaying all their tricks up their sleeve to repel the monsters.
The Scenery Porn (especially the red stone mountains in the opening scenes) mixed with the brightly colored uniforms of each army corps of the Nameless Order is a visual treat.
The Nameless order being Crazy-Prepared with pretty much everything they can throw at the Tao Tei, be it archers with whistling arrows, trebuchets with flaming boulders, swordsmen on harnesses walking down the wall, and even giant rotating blades hidden in the wall itself that quickly chop any climbing Tao Tei into mincemeat.
The main battle theme, which is a soaring, epic orchestra punctuated by war drums pounding to the beat. When the Crane troops first jump from the wall, there is a beautiful Oriental chant played as a leitmotif, perfectly conveying the fearlessness of the women soldiers. Have a listen.
Jing Tian's General Lin is an epic and rare example of a female warrior done right. She isn't overtly sexualized, her gender is never an issue with the other generals who respect her for her competence, she and William come to mutually respect each other as fighters without any forced romance, and in the final battle, William willingly allows her to take the final shot, knowing she is more equipped than he is to deal with the situation.
The Tao Tei Queen's guards. They are massive, ape-like brutes with shields made frome their neck frills, and are dedicated to defending the queen at all costs. What do they do when their monarch is assaulted by flaming cannonballs covered with spikes? Why, block it with their own freakin' faces, that's what!
Tear Jerker example, but the young soldier's Heroic Sacrifice to save William and Lin under the tunnels of the palace. The way he looks back at William before he dies really sells the moment.
In the finale, where William and General Lin swing Tarzan-style from a rope from the top of the palace tower, while the Tao Tei leap at them and plummet to their doom below as they miss.
After all his cruel and greedy backstabbing to both Tovar and William, it's very satisfying to see Ballard's treachery backfire and blow up in his face. In the case of the stolen black powder, literally.
