'The Specialist' was released last year to mostly hostile critics and apathetic theater goers. Ultimately, a film that must have looked great on paper became, considering it's cast, one of last years biggest bombs. I, however, found 'The Specialist' to be a very stylish and entertaining attempt at '90s film noir.
Sylvester Stallone stars as Ray Quick, an ex-CIA explosives expert who uses his talents as an assassin for hire. Robobabe Sharon Stone is May Munro, a beauty haunted by memories of a bloody past. Also starring is James Woods at his usual psycotic best as Stallone's mentor and former partner who now carries a grudge against Stallone for having him thrown out of the CIA. In two excellent supporting roles are Rod Steiger as the patriarch of a Miami crime family and Eric Roberts as his son and right hand.
Stone wants to hire Stallone as the instrument of revenge against Roberts and two of his henchmen for the deaths of her parents when she was a child. At first he resists, then after a brief encounter with Roberts apparently decides he's somebody he wouldn't mind killing. Woods happens to be employed by Steiger as a security expert and once the killing starts, immediately recognizes his former partner's work. Thus begins a game of cat and mouse between the two adversaries with Stone in middle.
'The Specialist', though often predictable, never the less has enough plot twists and suprises to keep you interested. There are also a number of terrific action set pieces, as well as several dynamite explosions (pun intended). Stallone's abilities are well suited to the quiet, tortured loner he plays and there is more than enough of Sharon Stone visible to hold the interest of any red-blooded American boy. Add to this Woods' over-the-edge psycho, some nice techno-gadgetry and exotic Miami locations and you come up with a much better movie than the box office receipts might suggest.
Warner's has released 'The Specialist' on laser with an outstanding transfer. Colors are not just good, but better than I recall seeing in the theater. The high level of saturation does lead to a bit more chroma noise than I like but this is slight and seldom objectionable. The bright garishness of Miami is often at a counterpoint to the dark moodiness of the lighting. These difficult shots are handled quite nicely. Blacks are deep and smooth with very good shadow detail. Overall, the image is extremely clear with very good sharpness and detail. The image is a bit overmatted with an aspect ratio of about 1.90:1. The framing often appears tight at the top but is generally well balanced and superior to a full screen ratio.
The soundtrack on this film, as you might expect, contains a number of explosions as well as the heavy beat of Latin dance music. The audio on this disc is excellent with clean, detailed mids and highs and floor shaking bass. Dialog is clear and natural sounding and always understandable, though much of it is spoken in low tones (Stone has a very sexy voice).
The film runs 110 minutes and the disc contains 34 chapters. Warner did not include a trailer. List price is $34.95.
If you passed on 'The Specialist' in the theater, I suggest at least a rental. If you are already familiar with the picture and are planning on adding this to your collection, you won't be disappointed.
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