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Long before Jason Statham perfected the formula of playing the loner with a violent past living off the grid, Sylvester Stallone took a shot at it in a forgotten 1994 action thriller that’s about to resurface on free streaming. Stallone is, of course, the man who gained widespread acclaim for writing and starring in the 1976 hit, Rocky, the story of which will be explored in the upcoming biopic, I Play Rocky.

Sylvester Stallone & Sharon Stone Star in an Erotic Action Thriller

Blending high-stakes action with a little eroticism, The Specialist stars Stallone as a former CIA explosives expert living off the grid in Miami. Directed by Luis Llosa (Anaconda, Sniper), the movie first hit theaters on Oct. 7, 1994, and became an immediate hit at the box office. Produced for $45 million, it managed to take in $170 million worldwide, making The Specialist a financial success, even if the majority of people disliked it.

Also starring Sharon Stone, The Specialist follows Ray Quick (Stallone), a man who left the CIA after he refused to carry out a mission that would have killed innocent civilians. Now working as a mercenary who specializes in elaborate bomb assassinations, his newest client is May Munro (Stone); a woman whose parents were killed by the powerful Leon crime family when she was just a child.

Determined to get her lick back, May hires Ray to exterminate the family one by one. Reluctant at first, he agrees to take the job, but as he carries out his task, the two grow closer to one another, making them vulnerable. Filled with explosive action, sexuality, and a phenomenal score by John Barry (James Bond), The Specialist may be far from Stallone’s best movie, but it’s certainly not his worst (that honor has to go to Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot, right?).

Also starring James Woods, Eric Roberts, and Rod Steiger, The Specialist was panned by critics. Holding just a 10% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the action thriller has been called everything from “incoherent” and “slow-moving,” to “tedious,” “ludicrous,” and “completely unnecessary.” Ouch! The majority of viewers agreed, as its audience score sits at a dismal 29%. Of course, your mileage may vary, so if you’ve never seen The Specialist, now is the perfect time to put it on your radar.

‘The Specialist’ Returns To Free Streaming Next Month

Though it’s currently unavailable to stream on any platform in the United States (it is available as a digital rental or purchase), The Specialist will be making its way back to free streaming on August 1. Stallone’s forgotten action thriller will be added to Tubi as part of next month’s crop of movies, which also include the entire Lethal Weapon franchise, Liam Neeson’s In the Land of Saints and Sinners, and American History X.

As mentioned, the story of Stallone’s rise to fame with Rocky will be explored in the upcoming biopic, I Play Rocky, which stars Anthony Ippolito as the up-and-coming actor whose life was completely changed by the sports drama. The phenomenal first trailer for the film was recently released, and you can look for it to open nationwide on Nov. 20.