Common Sense Media Review
By JK Sooja
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Violence, language in formulaic military action thriller.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Counterattack
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In COUNTERATTACK, an elite military team of professionals intervene in a situation that puts them in danger. Before they know it, an entire army of sicarios is after them. Will they be able to fight them off?
Is It Any Good?
This is a very straightforward action movie with a lot of gun violence and fighting. While the action in Counterattack is frequent and bloody, there's nothing too gory or disturbing. Stylistically, this movie seems to be going for summer blockbuster instead of winter realism, and results may vary. Set piece after set piece finds the main characters under fire, in gunfights, and in sticky situations, but nothing surprising occurs, no grand revelations are made, and the plot simply propels itself along until the final confrontation. Hence, there's nothing complicated about this film, characters are thinly drawn, and the stakes are more abstract than personal.
Sadly, there's a real missed opportunity in not using the two female characters more and involving them more organically in the story. Here, they quickly become mere victims to be rescued, and they have very few speaking lines. And there are some logistical problems (like after "saving" the two women from being kidnapped, the heroes simply let them leave unprotected, only for the women to be kidnapped from their home five minutes later), but this film clearly isn't trying to be smart or deep. Instead, it just follows a simple formula: Bad characters do bad things, bad characters need to be fought, criminals should be caught and punished, and sometimes heroes don't get the credit they deserve.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about violence in action thrillers. Did any of the violence in Counterattack surprise you? Do you feel like the violence and action positively contributed to making the movie exciting? Why, or why not?
Would you have made the same decisions as the team? Why, or why not?
How realistic do you think this film is? Is realism something you look for in an action movie?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : February 28, 2025
- Cast : Luis Alberti , Leonardo Alonso , Luis Curiel , Noé Hernández
- Director : Chava Cartas
- Inclusion Information : Latino Movie Director(s) , Mexican Movie Director(s) , Latino Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Netflix
- Genre : Action/Adventure
- Run time : 85 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : March 11, 2025
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