Triumph in the Skies is one of the most memorable Hong Kong TVB drama series that I have watched to date. I caught both seasons previously and was eagerly anticipating the release of the movie adaptation. You can imagine my delight when Clover Films invited me to the Triumph in the Skies Singapore Gala Premiere, where I had the opportunity to meet the suave Julian Cheung and charming Charmaine Sheh in the flesh. 
Triumph In The Skies Movie Review
Directed by Wilson Yip (Director of Ip Man and Ip Man 2) and Matt Chow (Director of Golden Chicken 3), the movie features some of the original cast from the original series, including Julian Cheung, Francis Ng, Kenneth Ma and Elena Kong, with the addition of new stars such as Louis Koo, Charmaine Sheh, Sammi Cheng and Amber Kuo.
Star studded cast? Checked.
Beautiful cinematography? Checked.
Romance? Checked.
Humour? Checked.
With all the right ingredients, the movie is geared for success at the box office. In fact, having a star studded cast is already half the battle won.
Diehard fans of the series may beg to differ, as the central theme of the movie hinges entirely on romance instead of the day-to-day challenges faced by pilots and air stewardesses, as depicted in the series. There were also times when Sam (played by Francis Ng) behaved in a way that seemed rather out of character and less relatable if you were to draw comparisons from the series.
However, given that the film was released during Chinese New Year and shortly after Valentine's Day, I personally found the light-hearted humour and romantic storyline very apt and thoroughly entertaining; not forgetting the beautiful cinematography and breathtaking scenes set in picturesque England.
Do you need to watch the series to understand the movie? The answer is no, and that to me, is the deal clincher.
Watch it as it is, on a clean slate, without any baggage or comparisons drawn from the series. You would actually find the movie much more enjoyable this way.
Triumph In The Skies Movie Synopsis
Young pilot Branson (Louis Koo) recently takes over Skylette, his father’s aviation empire, only to realize his old flames Cassie (Charmaine Sheh) is a flight attendant there. Several years ago, he was forced to break up with her and move to New York to take care of his father's business. To this day, the two continue to harbor feelings for each other but decide to keep them bottled up.
In an effort to rebrand the airline, Branson invites rock idol TM to star in an upcoming commercial and appoints Sam (Fransic Ng) as her flying consultant. Incongruent in both tastes and experience, this odd couple gets off on the wrong foot. As the shoot progresses, however, they slowly discover each other's merits, developing a strong mutual attraction.
Jayden (Julien Cheung) has left Skylette Airline to become a pilot for private jets. He meets the young and vivacious Kika (Kuo Tsai Chieh) during a flight and assumes her to be wayward and shallow. But they turn out to have a lot in common and start falling madly in love. At the height of their romance, Jayden realizes almost too late the secret behind her recalcitrance.
Each of the three relationships comes with its own setbacks. As long as one can accept the imperfection of things, finding happiness—however fleetingly—is a blessing in itself.
Watch the trailer here: