Rather than imitating in an obvious way, Zhan shen (also referred to by the English title War God) takes the character out of Chinese folk religion General Guan Yu (the god which both cops and triads worship for instance) and pits him against aliens from Mars!
The General's daughter (Polly Kuan) teams up with the righteous leader of a poor band of salt traders (Pai Ying) to help smash the reign of terror over the town's folk by the army. A personal quest for revenge develops between the two heads of each side resulting in a bloody and bleak conclusion for all...
Chinese mine workers are being cruelly suppressed by the Japanese, and a Chinese officer is sent to the scene. In an effort to hide the evil truth, the East Asia society decides to hire a samurai to kill the diligent young Chinese investigator.