The Specialist (1994)
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4% of critics liked it
(27 reviews) -
33% of users liked it
(40,869 ratings)
This over-the-top star vehicle for box office draws Sylvester Stallone and Sharon Stone went through a series of directors before landing in the hands of Luis Llosa. Stallone stars as Ray Quick, a former CIA bomb expert now retired in Miami after an operation against a South American drug lord went… More This over-the-top star vehicle for box office draws Sylvester Stallone and Sharon Stone went through a series of directors before landing in the hands of Luis Llosa. Stallone stars as Ray Quick, a former CIA bomb expert now retired in Miami after an operation against a South American drug lord went horribly wrong, resulting in the death of a child. Ray is coaxed out of retirement by May Munro (Stone) to help her get revenge on the powerful organized crime family -- headed up by Joe Leon (Rod Steiger) and his son Tomas (Eric Roberts) -- that killed her parents years before. In the meantime, Ray's former partner Ned Trent (James Woods) is on the Leon family payroll and is seeking his own kind of revenge on Ray. As Ray executes Leon's soldiers one by one, his attraction to May boils over into a steamy encounter in the shower, a prelude to an explosive finale. Although director Llosa wisely kept his camera focused on his buff, semi-clad stars and the film's spectacular effects, the somewhat silly and incoherent plot resulted in a poor box office performance for The Specialist, the third disappointment in a row for Stone. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi
- Directed By
- Luis Llosa
- Written By
- Alexandra Seros
- Genres
- Drama, Action & Adventure, Mystery & Suspense
- In Theaters
- Oct 7, 1994 Wide
- Studio
- Warner Home Video
Critic Reviews
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Christopher Harris, Globe and Mail
This movie is a stinker in every way, from the one-dimensional acting to the idiot dialogue to the surprisingly monotonous storyline.
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Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
The Specialist is one of those films that forces the characters through torturous mazes of dialogue and action, to explain a plot that is so unlikely it's not worth the effort.
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Hal Hinson, Washington Post
With all the preening, posing and stretching, it's hard to know if The Specialist is an action movie or an exercise video.
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James Berardinelli, ReelViews
This movie is excruciatingly dumb.
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John J. Puccio, Movie Metropolis
...all formula action, formula adventure, formula characters, formula romance, and formula revenge plot. (Blu-ray edition)
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
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Cast
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Sylvester Stallone
as Ray Quick
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Sharon Stone
as May Munro
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James Woods
as Ned Trent
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Rod Steiger
as Joe Leon
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Eric Roberts
as Tomas Leon
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Victoria Bass
as Socialite
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Alfredo Alvarez Calderon
as Bomb Expert
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Dave Caprita
as OPS Buddy
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Gene Hartline
as Kitchen Thug #3
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Mario Ernesto Sánchez
as Charlie
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Jeff Moldovan
as Kitchen Thug #2
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Tony Munafo
as Tony
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Carmen More
as Cop #3
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John Archie
as Cop #1
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Antoni Corone
as Marksman
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Mercedes Enriquez
as Pregnant Woman on Bus
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Chase Randolph
as May's Dad
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Chris Conrad
as Officer
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Allan Graf
as Bus Driver
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Jackie Davis
as Grocery Store Owner
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Bud Ekins
as Veteran Cop
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Mario Roberts
as Kitchen Thug #1
