Counterpunch

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.

we expect more fighting considering the title of the film but the movie doesn't give us much of what we expect unfortunately. The cast also doesn't provide us with world wide stars except Danny Trejo so it also lacks celebrity charm too. nevertheless the cast we have in this movie did a good work, acting are fine it just needs a little more spice to make us feel better about the film. and because this is a boxing film we have to compare it with the best we have ; rocky, drama level is lower than the legend film and so are the duration of fighting scenes, yet one can always give it a shot for one-time viewing only not too bad not too good

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.

Great cast. I enjoyed the film and it was very inspiring.... The director did a fine job bringing out the best performances from the actors.......... Including the dog! :)

I think they did a fine job with telling the story and the locations were great! Not sure what the budget was... However i am sure it was not a studio budget... So well done Cast and Crew! It was a true story that truly touched me! In more ways then one! I think it's worth watching 100%. I also wondered how many days they shot? Looks like it was shot in Miami? Right? Or no? Would anyone on here know about this? I would love to get these questions answered! Thanks-

Cheers.

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.