Born to Fly (film)

Born to Fly is a 2023 Chinese military film set against the backdrop of the decades of modernization of the People's Liberation Army Air Force. Directed by Liu Xiaoshi and produced by Han Han, the film stars Wang Yibo, Hu Jun, Yu Shi and Zhou Dongyu. The film was released on April 28, 2023 in China and garnered $121 million worldwide.

Plot
Two American F-35 Lightning II fighters enter Chinese airspace and cause havoc near the coast. Flying at supersonic speeds, the F-35s create sonic booms that damage an oil refinery and affect local fishing boats. Chinese pilot Lei Yu intercepts the F-35s with his Chengdu J-10. Lei Yu pushes the limits of his craft to compete against the 5th generation fighters; the intruding aircraft then leave the airspace. Lei Yu's craft suffers engine problems, which force him to make an emergency landing.

In a meeting, Lei Yu's superiors are critical of him pushing the jet that far, but Lei Yu argues it was the only way to fight against a superior enemy. The higher-ups discuss the main issue: foreign 5th generation fighters have a huge advantage over their 4th generation fighters. Secretly, the Chinese have been developing the 5th generation Chengdu J-20 in order to counter foreign 5th generation threats. Commander Zhang Ting invites Lei Yu to join him in the new stealth fighter program and he agrees.

At the training facility, Lei Yu and his squad endure rigorous training by pushing their physical and mental limits. The J-20 is still going through refinement as the prototype WS-13 Taishan engine is incomplete. They've been using alternative jets to test the engine's capabilities before installing it in the J-20. During a flight test with Commander Ting, Lei Yu and Ting lose thrust and enter into a spiral dive. Lei Yu believes the situation is dangerous and ejects, while Ting manages to regain control of the aircraft and land the plane. The incident gets Lei Yu grounded, and he is expected to leave the training facility. During his grounding, he studies the mechanical flaws and proposes an anti-stall parachute. Ting decides to have Lei Yu fly with him on his last day to test the fighter's engine and missiles, when the fighter suffers dual engine failure. Ting and Lei Yu agree to eject together, but Ting stays in the aircraft and steers the jet outside of the city in order to prevent civilian casualties, dying in the process. Ting is later given a military burial, while Lei Yu chooses to stay with the squad to complete the J-20.

Lei Yu and the chief pilot, Deng Fang, test the newest engine after Ting's death. While testing the jet's ability to get out of a spiraling dive, a flock of birds strikes the cockpit, knocking out both crew members. Lei Yu manages to recover and attempt to regain control. The fighter has his anti-stall parachute installed, and uses it to get the J-11 out of the spin, but the chute can't be ejected. Lei Yu pushes the engine to rip out the chute and tries to regain control as the blood in his eyes blinds him. He manages to pull up and prove the new improvements worked; this marks the completion of their prototype and onto mass production.

In a later encounter, American stealth fighters and drones infiltrate Chinese air space again. Lei Yu and Deng Fang launch in their completed J-20s and shoot down the drones. They then proceed to engage the F-35s. Since shooting down the American fighters would lead to an international incident, Lei Yu warns the pilots and the F-35s retreat from the airspace. In a mid-credits scene, Lei Yu and his squadron perform a surprise flyby by deploying coloured smoke above a soccer field to show respect to Commander Ting's son.

Cast

 * Wang Yibo as Lei Yu
 * Hu Jun as Zhang Ting
 * Yu Shi as Deng Fang
 * Zhou Dongyu as Shen Tianran

Release
Born to Fly had completed filming in May 2022 and was slated to release on September 30, 2022 to coincide with China's National Day on October 1. The film was shelved without public explanation, which sparked controversy both domestically and internationally. In January 2023, exactly 100 days after it was shelved, the film released new promotional materials. A few days later a release date of May 2023 was announced, coinciding with the Chinese Labor Day holiday.

Box office
The film earned US$44 million on its opening weekend in China, with nearly 10% (US$4 million) coming from IMAX shows.