Quartile rating: 6/10 · 1 rating
May Munro is a woman obsessed with getting revenge on the people who murdered her parents when she was still a girl. She hires Ray Quick, a retired explosives expert, to kill her parents' killers. When Ned Trent, embittered ex-partner of Quick's, is assigned to protect one of Quick's potential victims, a deadly game of cat and mouse ensues.
The Specialist is a mid-90s glossy action thriller that coasts on the star power of Stallone and Stone without delivering much substance. The plot is a fairly formulaic revenge narrative with thin characterization and predictable beats. The acting is notable mostly for its campiness — Sharon Stone and James Woods chew scenery while Stallone is largely wooden. Cinematography is serviceable with some Miami atmosphere and decent explosion sequences that give it a minor visual edge. The film offers little novelty, recycling neo-noir and revenge tropes without distinctive vision. The ending resolves things in an unsatisfying, rushed manner. Overall a below-average genre entry remembered more for its infamous shower scene than its craft.