Chang kong zhi wang

Wasn't sure what to expect going into this movie even though we know the synopsis that these men are test pilots.

Lei Yu was a fighter pilot who was recruited to be a test pilot. From here, his character develop. The movie overall was burning, explosive and exciting! The beginning scene could make a run for many Hollywood's movies. The comedy in here is spot on too but some pun cannot be transfer from Chinese to English well. This is the sucky part many westerners will miss on this pun sense of humor.

The friendship and chemistry between the team is good too.

The romance is subtle but nice.

Recommend high watch..

"Lei Yu" (the competent Yibo Wang) is an aspiring test pilot who is selected to take part in a prestigious programme to improve the efficiency of the Chinese Air Force's jet fighters. A bit of rivalry with "Deng Fang" (Yosh Yu) and inspiration from their commander "Zhang" (Jun Hu) makes sure the young man and his equipment are tested to the extreme - but can he rise to the challenge? It certainly has a bit of the look of "Maverick" (2022) to it, with some impressive aerial photography and dog-fighting and it also tries to imbue something of the engineering and science to the plot - crediting the young airmen with skills well beyond just being able to fly a plane. Sadly, though, the producers just couldn't (or wouldn't) steer clear of the political jingoism that rather nauseatingly lauds the virtues of their Air Force against an unknown (English-speaking) foe that is constantly harassing and threatening them. By mid-way through I felt rather sorry for "Lei Yu" - to say he seemed a bit accident-prone would be like saying Jonah liked whales - so the fact that he survives at all is quite a remarkable feat! There's the merest hint of a romance with his doctor "Shen Tianran" (Dongyu Zhou) but for the most part this is all about a young man's determination to succeed. It's perfectly watchable with some decent production standards and had it kept off the flag-waving grass, it could have made for another example of well-enough made high-octane cinema. At times it just smacks too much of a party rallying cry though, and that lets it down.

....but this is a great action movie! It's entertaining, and shows a lot of heart.

The flying sequences are superbly exciting, and the army discipline is enviable.

The camera work and acting are very good.

By American standards, it's a bit too starchy and dignified: there needs to be more in the way of bloody violence and romance to satisfy our palate. (On the other hand, it does show grown men cry, a no-no in American films.)

I hope the Republicans can get our military back in shape; or else, as intimated by this well-made, entertaining film, as it currently stands, if push came to shove, the communist Chinese military would eat our lunch.

First of al the sound design and special effects are great. Really helps to get drawn into the story. The CGI looks real not like CGI The acting by the entire cast is very good but the 2 lead actors are especially good. The story very closely follows the template of the hero's journey with a few twists that would not be part of a Western movie. In order to remain spoiler free I will not go into further details. There is enough humour sprinkled throughout the movie to make it feel real. There is also sad scenes to bring home the serious nature of there work and how dangerous it is. In short a very enjoyable movie. The movie has almost nothing in common with the 2 Top Guns other then planes are a part of the movie and pilots compete with each other.

This was an obvious attempt at replicating Top Gun, but without the chops. I dropped off three times, but finally made it through on the fourth attempt. I rented it for $2.99, that was a mistake.

The storyline is OK, at least now I know there are test pilots out there. Acting was also OK; not great, not horrible.

The part that was hard frustrating was the obvious Chinese propaganda and "us vs the world" antics. I watch movies to entertain myself, not to be brainwashed. It was rated 9.9 on Viki, the highest score I've ever seen on the app thus far. I am guessing the hero / martyr propaganda resonated with the Chinese audience.