SimonJack Miami mob rule, revenge, and a contest between two former CIA demo experts make up "The Specialist." James Woods is especially good as Ned Trent, the former CIA assassin who enjoys killing and brutality. Sylvester Stallone is Ray Quick, the former sidekick who brought him down in the CIA and now confronts him in the mob rule of Miami. Sharon Stone is May Munro who seeks revenge 15 years after she witnessed the Leon family killing of her parents. Rod Steiger is Joe Leon, the head of the family. He has hired Trent to update security of his operation. Leon's son, Tomas (Eric Roberts) was one of the three killers of May's parents. He and Trent despise one another. "The Specialist" may have more explosions in it than any other film – surely any one that's not a war movie. Viewers can enjoy the sly Sly Stallone in his craft of rigging every kind of explosive device imaginable to take down the bad guys. But, overall this is a crass and rough film with lots of brutality, violence and yes – a very long scene with full nudity of the two leads, back and sides in the shower. Definitely not a family film – and not a good one at all beyond all the pyrotechnics.

moviehawg59 *Could be a spoiler or two* My ONLY problem with the whole movie was James Woods! Nobody, I mean NOBODY ... goes around flaunting laws and rules and treating every single person he comes into contact with, like garbage. Another thing ... Eric Roberts' character is insanely jealous, to the point that he sees Stallones character looking into his car, he immediately jumps out and threatens Stallone with all types of bodily injury, (even pulling a knife on Stallone in wide open public), yet, a li'l bit later, in his mansion, he walks into a room where Woods has just slapped the "ca-ca" out of Stone's character (meaning, she would obviously have a hand print on her face, or a bruise, or black-eye, or SOMETHING), and Roberts does or says absolutely nothing! But, back to Woods. He treats the bomb crew like rookie desk clerks, and no one says anything or calls him on it. He even makes a li'l "pen-bomb", and activates it in the bomb squad room, daring the bomb squad leader to deactivate it it in less than 10 seconds ... and he gets away with it (yeah, right)! But, other than Woods, this is actually a good, entertaining movie. Plenty of action, lots of explosions, even a very uncomfortable-looking shower sex scene! This is a movie where just about everyone that you want to see blown up, gets blown up!

Anssi Vartiainen Sylvester Stallone plays a former CIA bomb expert turned hit man, who gets hired by a beautiful woman to take out the crime boss responsible for the death of her parents. He plans the hit, gets pulled in by the feminine wiles of his employer, meets a nemesis from his past, things get blown up, the usual.It's a passable film by most standards. Stallone doesn't bring as much ham as he usually does, which is a shame, but the explosions themselves are pretty neat, especially the end scene in a house filled with things designed to go kaboom. But, as you've probably already guessed, the characters are utterly lifeless, the plot is paper thin, the dialogue is laughable and the story telling is something that could be topped by a kindergartener.Still, there's something about Stallone and his particular style of action films that makes this a watchable movie. Nowhere near one of his better films, but I in no way regret seeing it.

HelenMary I love this film. It's actually one of my favourites. Sharon Stone is stunning, brilliant and brings convincing anger to the role of May Munro - the young girl who's grown up and out to avenge her parents. Stallone, whilst the big monosyllabic hero, he's got depth and personality and for my money, it's one of his best roles. Eric Roberts and James Woods make up the main cast and are both vicious and determinedly broken and dastardly. The soundtrack is amazing, I bought the CD, and it's a glamorous attractively shot film. Again Stone shines in a wardrobe to die for.The only problem with the film, is that it's a little on the improbably/cheesy and overacted side - especially Roberts and Woods... they're a bit hammy. However, I've watched it many times, and it still stands up as a good film and hasn't aged that much (except scrunchie-spotting, lots of cigarette smoking and some male fashion faux pas) and certainly is still very entertaining. It's quite dark, and with very adult themes, but there's some real heart in this film and I think the chemistry between Stone and Stallone is very sexy. Love this film, and love the passion of revenge that is portrays.