The Specialist is a 1994 action film from Warner Bros. Pictures. It is directed by Luis Llosa, produced by Jerry Weintraub, and written by Alexandra Seros. Among the cast are Hollywood notables Sylvester Stallone, Sharon Stone, James Woods and Rod Steiger.
The film has an MPAA rating of R for violence, nudity, and foul language. Its Latin pop soundtrack features Gloria Estefan's hit "Turn the Beat Around".
Synopsis
In 1984, Ray Quick and Ned Trent, CIA explosives experts, "the rigger and the trigger," are on a mission to blow up a car transporting a South American drug dealer. But when the dealer's car appears, a little girl is inside.
Ray insists they abort the mission. Ned intends to see it through and allows the explosion to happen. He and Ray engage in a vicious fight and their partnership comes to a bitter end.
Years later, in Miami, Ray is now available for hire as a freelance hit man. Desperate people contact him via the Internet and he only takes the cases that interest him.
Ray's work is distinguished by its precision; he specializes in "shaping" his explosions, building and planting bombs that blow up only the intended target, leaving innocent bystanders unharmed.
Against his better judgment, Ray is persuaded to work for May Munro, whose parents were killed by men who work for Miami drug kingpin Joe Leon. The murders took place when she was a child, but May now intends to get her revenge.
Ned has begun working for Joe Leon. He is jockeying for power within the family, particularly in relation to Joe's arrogant son Tomas Leon.
Tomas was one of the men who killed May's parents. She gets to know Tomas and tolerate his romantic interest in her while Ray keeps tabs from a distance. In the meantime, Ray's unique bombs do away with two other men involved in the Munros' murders.
A corrupt police official on Joe Leon's payroll permits Ned to work with Miami bomb squad officers in an attempt to smoke out Ray.
Ned is held responsible when Joe Leon's beloved son becomes the next one killed. May, who had made up her mind to observe Tomas' death in person, also apparently is killed in the blast, to Ray's horror.
It is revealed that May has actually been forced into a partnership with Ned, whose goal was to coax Ray out of hiding. Ray cost him his job with the CIA and Ned wants payback for that. She gets her revenge on the Leons but hadn't counted on falling for Ray.
Ray discovers that May is alive. He meets her for the first time and they make love in a hotel. May leaves a note that she is a woman who can't be trusted. When she is intercepted by Ned and ordered to betray Ray, she tells him to remember what she wrote. Ray immediately rigs the hotel room to explode.
In a final showdown, Ray and May are cornered in a booby-trapped warehouse, but Ned steps on a bomb Ray has planted and is killed. Joe Leon is pleased that at least Ned Trent has paid a price for what happened to Tomas when a bomb suddenly ends Joe's life as well.
May and Ray drive away together. Asked how she feels, she replies: "Better."
Cast
Trivia
- Steven Seagal was offered the lead role but he wanted $9 million to star and direct, so the producers turned him down.
- Academy-Award winning screenwriter Akiva Goldsman did an uncredited rewrite of the script early in his career.
- The look on Sharon Stone's face when the bombs go off at the end is reportedly genuine fear; unlike Stallone she was not used to being around explosions.
References
External links
