BootDigest
Such a frustrating disappointment
Mjeteconer
Just perfect...
Hattie
I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.
Zandra
The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.
Leofwine_draca
COUNTERPUNCH is a cheap boxing drama made on a tiny indie budget. Watching it, you wonder why they bothered with a story that just goes through a number of genre cliches, including prison life, training, and the climactic fight, when all of it feels so hackneyed, so predictable. The budget is too low as well, which precludes any decent writing or performances, making this a chore to watch. Danny Trejo pops up as a convict and Steven Bauer's in there somewhere too, but this really is the pits regardless.
taub
This is the kind of movie that you never hear of, and after you watch it, you wonder why there aren't more movies like this. America is full of interesting people that overcome terrible odds. But the movies you see made commercially have the same stars, redoing the same stories, or remaking old TV shows.This movie holds your interest throughout the entire movie. The characters are realistic, because it is based on a true story. I love Danny Trejo, but frequently he just has cameo appearances, but he has a solid performance in this movie. I hope this crew makes some more movies, and that Hollywood starts promoting more Indy films. The Behind the Scenes portion of the DVD says that the film was made in 14 days, on a very low budget.
lilgstunt-415-754087
shocking, stunning, surprisingly good. Three words that just popped in my head as I start my review for Counterpunch. I would have like to seeing more boxing in the film and the climax could of been bigger, but I guess when I sat down to watch this film I was expecting a lot of action, fighting, half naked girls, etc... But wow, I was in for a surprise and this film really made me think about my life and left me with so much to talk about with my family and my close friends. A bipolar boxer with a dysfunctional lifestyle and all odds are definitely against him throughout this film. It was fun and exciting to watch and go on this journey with Emilio(alvaro orlando) and see him fight his way to the top. Orlando was filled with rage and vulnerability which is the two qualities that I see in some of my favorite actors of all time. He was surrounded by a strong cast and that goes to show me that the director (kenneth castillo) really did his homework and focused his energy on who he was going to cast. The Uncle (oscar torre) did a fine job, he was very likable. Overall I really enjoyed this film, I think it's worth watching at least once. It inspired me and made me realize that life is too short not to follow your dreams. The acting was strong, very strong. I liked the story, especially when I found out that It was Based On A True Story! I look forward to seeing more of Alvaro Orlando on the big screen (he was in the pick up artist?) Cheers.
filmlvr76
I found the film very inspiring and I highly recommend it. A true story about a family doing their very best to raise a troubled young man as best as they can. The acting was superb, the cast did not feel like they were acting. Alvaro Orlando as the young man/boxer gives an excellent performance. Oscar Torre as his uncle and ex-boxer, who is fighting to keep his dignity while raising his nephew as best as he can, gives a heart breaking performance, as well as Yeniffer Behrens as his drug addicted mother and Ivonne Coll as the grandmother and the glue that keeps the family together. Danny Trejo as a mental health counselor gives one of his best performances, in a role we are not accustomed to seeing him. Kenneth Castillo does a fine job with the direction. My only critique is, the boxing sequences seemed a little low budget but this is much more than a boxing film, it's a story about survival.
