Despite its global box office dominance, “Top Gun: Maverick” never had a wide release in China due to its unreserved celebration of American military might. Ironically, that propagandistic streak is what would have probably made the Tom Cruise blockbuster a hit with Chinese audiences; it has many of the same elements that have defined the country's recent string of slick actioners designed first and foremost to stir up nationalism. So, it was no surprise when China's own answer to the jet pilot phenomenon, “Born to Fly”, wrapped production last May, the same month that “Top Gun” hit cineplexes. More unexpected was the announcement later in the year that the release had been postponed, with speculation being that the studio was worried about negative comparisons to its American equivalent. Now, more than half a year later, the finished product has finally been unveiled. Early box office numbers have been great, but the question remains: can “Born to Fly” measure up to the film that saved movie theaters in 2022?
Trinity CineAsia presents Born to Fly in selected UK & Irish cinemas from 5 May
In terms of revenue, the answer will certainly be “no,” but the quality difference is another story. The script, penned by director Liu Xiaoshi and co-writer Gui Guan, certainly does nothing to dispel the comparisons. The story has the same focus on cocky fighter pilots and team bonding as the “Top Gun” flicks, and it moves through the expected tropes like it's burning through a checklist. There are training montages and rivalries and teary-eyed speeches and slow-motion shots of powerful combat technology.
The main character, Lei Wu (teen idol Wang Yibo), shares a lot of DNA with the younger iteration of Maverick himself. He is bullheaded and prone to breaking rules, which places him at odds with the devoted Commander Zhang (the always commanding Hu Jun) and similarly strong-willed peer Deng Fang (Yu Yosh). They're part of an elite team responsible for testing the latest and greatest technology that the People's Air Force has to offer. This means that there isn't a ton of real combat, but the script hammers in the idea that their test results will mean life or death out on the battlefield.
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The real star of the show is the flag-waving melodrama. Yibo's Lei Wu is given a surface-level romance with an officer played by Zhou Dongyu, but the true love affair is between the pilots and their country. “Maverick” was no less jingoistic, but it worked on multiple levels. There, the literal narrative was a way to explore ideas about generational divides and legacy, and it doubled as a meta-commentary on its aging star's obsession with old-fashioned, analog moviemaking. In “Born to Fly,” everything is painfully straightforward (and digital). There are scenes of officers describing strategy and tech that are more informative than dramatic, and the chief motivation for every character is an unfaltering love of country. This unified mentality is a testament to the importance that China places on collective power, especially when contrasted with the nonconformist bent of Western war stories, but it's not explored or interrogated in an interesting way. This isn't helped by the fact the protagonists are dreadfully serious symbols of goodness that rarely cut loose.
Luckily, the cast are able to make the most of thin characters. Yibo is likeable enough as a character who spends too much of his screentime being confrontational and stubborn, but the real highlight is Hu Jun. His performance as Commander Zhang is the emotional center of the film, and he gives a human dimension to a role that could have been one-note. If the plot had leaned into his likeability and made Zhang the lead, there might have been an opportunity to move beyond saccharine propaganda.
It's not a painful two hours by any means, and the filmmaking is competent if not always inspired. Xiaoshi impressively serves as his own DP, and he does a good job recreating the sun-soaked golden hour photography of “Top Gun.” Plus, there's something about these schmaltzy crowd-pleasers that's always fun. Nevertheless, a recent string of triple-A action films have reminded moviegoers what a real spectacle looks like, and “Born to Fly” seems tepid in comparison.
