Counterattack Review
Director: Chava Cartas
Date Created: 2025-03-02 20:45
3.5
Counterattack Review: Chava Cartas directs this action film that doesn’t mess around getting to the meat of the action. The movie stars Luis Alberti, Noé Hernández, Luis Curiel, Leonardo Alonso, David Calderón, Guillermo Nava, Israel Islas, Mayra Batalla, Ishbel Bautista, Frida Jiser and others. The plot is straightforward. A group of top soldiers, led by Captain Guerrero, goes after a brutal crime lord, Josefo Urias, and finds themselves on the run instead. Betrayed, outnumbered, and out of ammo, they must fight their way through the Mexican forests to survive.
Counterattack Review
Look, not every action movie needs a deep, mind-blowing plot. Sometimes you simply want good vs. evil, and in the most explosive, over-the-top manner. And Counterstrike movie delivers just that. No intricate back story, no twist of fate—it’s simply soldiers vs. cartel in a kill-or-die fight for survival. Guerrero and his soldiers are the good guys. Josefo and his cartel? Evil incarnate. No shades of gray, no moral dilemma—just a black-and-white war between justice and crime.
And honestly? I wasn’t bothered by it. Sometimes it’s good to have things simple. But I do wish the bad guys had been fleshed out a bit more. We have a mention that Josefo and his brother Roman are out for revenge because their father was killed by the elite troops, but that strand isn’t pulled. Instead, they’re simply violent, nasty thugs with no depth. It works for the type of film Contraataque is going for, but I couldn’t help but feel that a bit more character work would’ve made the story hit that much harder.
Another weak link? The entire subplot involving the corrupt Secretary Arvizu. He’s the one spilling the intel and essentially masterminding the soldiers’ demise—but he’s hardly in the movie. He could have been a loose cannon of a kind, bringing tension from within the system, but no, he just sort of lingers in the background. A wasted opportunity, if you ask me.
Now, on to the best part—the action. Because let’s be honest, that’s what we’re all here for. And Counterstrike delivers. From the very first moment Guerrero decides to bring the fight to Josefo, the movie is in high gear and doesn’t let up. The ambush scene? Completely insane. It’s frenetic, intense, and keeps you on your toes the whole time. I particularly loved how the camera work was so visceral and immersive—no slow-motion crap, no cheesy CGI, just raw, unadulterated action.
The last siege of El Enjambre’s warehouse is another standout. The manner in which the tension is gradually ratcheted up, the gritty intensity of the battles, and that huge explosion—chef’s kiss. It’s the sort of set piece that makes you remember why practical effects are better than CGI-laden action set pieces. My one gripe? The last hand-to-hand battle. I’m not going to spoil it, but let’s just say that it was an epic moment in the making… and it wasn’t. Slight disappointment given how well the rest of the action was executed.
One of the things I enjoyed about Counterstrike is the way it’s so much like a real ensemble movie. Most action movies try to put all the focus on one giant action hero, but in this one, Guerrero’s team really does feel like a team. Luis Alberti is excellent as Guerrero—tough, gritty, but not some kind of unstoppable action hero. But what makes the movie really work is the chemistry between the entire team. Leonardo Alonso, Luis Curiel, Guillermo Nava, and David Calderón all contribute, and it really does feel like they’ve got each other’s backs.
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On the bad guys’ side, Noé Hernández (Josefo) and Israel Islas (Roman) are great at making you despise them. They’re not developed characters at all, but they don’t need to be—they just need to be brutal, and they do that perfectly. Mayra Batalla and Frida Jiser don’t appear on screen at all, really, but they make their presence known. And I have to give the stunt team huge props. These guys worked hard to make all the fights and shootouts look real.
Summing Up
Netflix’s Counterstrike is a lean, mean action movie that does what it does. It is simple, it keeps the action on track, and provides some truly intense moments. This is an good-vs-evil fight because it is a high-adrenaline, no-holds-barred action movie. It has the tone of a throwback survival action movie where the goodies outnumbered but never outmatched.
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Counterattack Review
Director: Chava Cartas
Date Created: 2025-03-02 20:46
3.5
