“Take Off” is a film about obsession, and it commits fully to that obsession from the very first frame. Directed by Peng Fei and written by Peng Fei, Shuang Xuetao, and Yizhou Xu, the movie follows Li Mingqi, a worker from Northeast China who is utterly consumed by his dream of building and flying his own aircraft. The film runs 123 minutes and carries no rating. It is a drama, but it is also a comedy, and the two tones sit side by side throughout the runtime without ever settling into a comfortable balance.
The premise is simple. Li Mingqi believes he can build a flying device with his bare hands and fly it across the sky. He is not a trained engineer. He is not a pilot. He is a man from the northeast of China, working in a factory, who has decided that the only way to escape his life is to rise above it. The film tracks his attempts to build this device, his failures, his humiliations, and his eventual triumph. Along the way, it becomes less a story about flight than a story about faith — faith in oneself, faith in one’s dreams, and faith in the possibility that even the most absurd idea might somehow work.
Trailer, via Orchid Tree Media.
Li Mingqi and the Dream That Won’t Die
Jiang Qiming plays Li Mingqi, and this is the performance that anchors the film. His turn earned him the Best Actor award at the 21st China Changchun Film Festival’s ‘Golden Deer Award.’ The award is a strong signal of what the film is doing right. Jiang plays Mingqi with a kind of desperate optimism that never tips into mockery. He is not a foolish man in the eyes of the film. He is a man who has made a choice, and he is willing to suffer for it.
The supporting cast fills out the world around him. Li Xueqin plays Gao Yafeng, Dong Baoshi plays Gao Xuguang, Jiang Wu plays Gao Likuan, Yang Le plays Li Zhengdao, and Jiang Yi plays Lang Guoqing. These characters are the obstacles and the allies of Mingqi’s dream. They do not understand him, and they do not always support him, but the film never lets them become caricatures. Each one gets a moment to breathe, and each one brings a distinct energy to the story.
The audience score stands at 6.545 out of 10 from 11 votes on TMDB. That is a modest number, and it reflects the film’s unevenness. The film is not a masterpiece, but it is not a failure either. It is a sincere attempt to capture something real — the feeling of being driven by a dream that everyone else thinks is impossible — and it mostly succeeds.
Comedy and Drama Collide
The film’s genre is listed as both Drama and Comedy, and the two modes compete for dominance throughout. There are moments of genuine laughter, and there are moments of real sadness. The comedy comes from the absurdity of the situation — a factory worker trying to build a plane in his backyard — while the drama comes from the cost of that obsession. The film does not resolve this tension in a neat way. It simply presents both sides and lets the audience sort through them.
“Critics broadly praised the film’s performances, especially Jiang Qiming’s lead turn.”
That line captures the critical reception. The performances are the strength of the film, and the lead performance is singled out as exceptional. The film’s technical elements — direction, writing, editing — are solid but unremarkable. They serve the story without calling attention to themselves. The film is best when it stays close to the characters and their struggles.
The Cost of Obsession
The film does not shy away from the cost of Mingqi’s dream. There are consequences. Relationships suffer. Resources are drained. Time is lost. The film acknowledges that obsession is not a free pass to happiness. It is a path that demands sacrifice, and the film shows those sacrifices clearly. This is where the film earns its weight. It is not a feel-good story about following your heart. It is a story about the price of that decision.
The comedy in the film sometimes undercuts this weight. A joke about a failed test flight might land before the audience has had time to feel the loss. The film oscillates between the light and the heavy, and that oscillation can be jarring. It is a structural choice, and it is not a bad one, but it requires patience from the viewer.
A Factory Worker’s Dream
The setting of the film is the northeast of China, and the film uses this setting to ground its story. Mingqi is not a wealthy man. He is not a man with connections. He is a worker, and the film treats his status with respect. His dream is not a luxury. It is a necessity. He wants to fly because he feels trapped, and the film makes that feeling specific.
The film’s themes are universal — the desire to transcend one’s circumstances, the fear of failure, the need for recognition — but the specificity of the setting gives them weight. The northeast of China is not just a backdrop. It is a character in the story, a place that shapes Mingqi’s dreams and his failures. The film does not romanticize poverty. It shows it plainly, and it shows how poverty shapes ambition.
The Flight Itself
The climax of the film is the flight itself. After months of building, testing, and failing, Mingqi finally gets his device off the ground. The scene is tense, and it is emotional. It is also the moment where the film’s tonal shifts are most visible. The comedy that has been present throughout gives way to something quieter and more solemn. The film earns this shift through its patient setup, and the payoff lands with real force.
The film’s final act is where it resolves its central question: is this dream worth the cost? The film answers with a yes, but it is a qualified yes. It is a yes that acknowledges the scars left behind. It is a yes that is earned through the full weight of the preceding hours.
A Sincere Film
“Take Off” is not a perfect film, but it is a sincere one. It is a film about a man who refuses to accept the limits placed upon him. It is a film about the power of belief, even when that belief looks foolish to everyone else. It is a film that respects its protagonist, and it is a film that respects its audience.
The film’s weaknesses are real. Its tonal shifts can be confusing, and its comedy sometimes overshadows its drama. But its strengths are stronger. Jiang Qiming’s performance is extraordinary, and the film’s willingness to explore the cost of obsession is rare in mainstream cinema. It is a film that asks difficult questions and does not offer easy answers.
The box office figures stand at 80.938 million yuan. That number tells us nothing about the quality of the film, but it tells us something about its reach. The film has connected with audiences, and that connection is visible in the performances and in the way the story is told.
The Final Verdict
“Take Off” is a flawed but rewarding film. It is a film that takes its subject seriously, even when its execution wavers. It is a film that deserves attention for its lead performance and its willingness to look at the dark side of ambition. It is a film that will leave you thinking about the distance between a dream and its realization.
The film’s audience score of 6.545 out of 10 reflects a mixed reception, and the critical consensus points to the performances as the standout element. That is the right focus. The performances are the reason to see this film, and Jiang Qiming’s lead turn is the reason to praise it.
This is a film worth seeing, if only for the lead performance. It is a film that rewards attention, even when it does not fully earn it. It is a film that captures something real about the human spirit, and it does so with sincerity and conviction.
The verdict is early, but it is clear. “Take Off” is a film that succeeds on its own terms, even when those terms are uneven. It is a film about the cost of believing in yourself, and it is a film that believes in its own subject.
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