The Specialist

i can't say i loved this third film featuring Jeff Speakman in a starring role.but i didn't hate it either.i thought it was a bit better than his second effort,Street Knight,though that's pretty faint praise.this one's a little less boring,and the fighting sequences are a bit better.the acting is not great,though Speakman himself actually isn't too bad,and actually seems to have improved since Street Knight.however i thought Michael Shaner as the Villain was a bright spot in an otherwise dense sea of fog.again,this is one movie that fails to distinguish itself from the rest of the pack and is no more than average for the genre.for me,The Expert is a 5/10

Oh, well I thought it should be a good action, but it was not. Although Jeff Speakman stars there is nothing to watch.Only two fight for almost 1,5 hours, yak.A lot of talking and everything is so artificial that you could not believe it. The plot is clear from the beginning. If you want good action don't rent this movie.

This was Speakman's fourth big film, well… in low budget way. As usual in these low budget action films, he is an former trainer of special units, who seeks revenge. Normally, typically, and as usual… Now… I haven't seen any other Jeff latest film, they are kinda hard to come by… but, he is busy today with Kenpo seminars all over the world and I think it's a good idea to stop when you are supposed to and keep a low profile and do what you like to do. I kinda doubt in Jeff latest films… maybe because I am a fan of 90s action films. OK, the story is usual, a sadistic maniac Kagan (played by Michael Shaner, who you probably remember for "Lethal Weapon" (1987), he was the guy who was "saved" by Mel Gibson from suicide jump. He made an interesting performance, but not too well to be noticed for more upcoming roles), kills John's (Speakman) sister and, therefore… he seeks revenge… his own way. You know, kinda badass and radical. There's actually nothing that quite special in the film, the action scenes were solid, the movie has an interesting music score that fits perfectly in the scenes. Jeff is really good in his fighting scenes, as always. We got actors as James Brolin (as a cold prison warden) and Alex Datcher (as a liberal fighter for convicts rights, or whatever), other actors didn't do anything much with their performances, well what did you expect from a low budget film? But… here's what's cool… I was quite surprised by this. Jim Varney appears in film as Speakman's war buddy who is a pawn shop owner, and who also supplies Speakman with some cool weapons and equipment for his revenge. Varney is a comedian, but even in this 5 to 6 minute role, he proved otherwise, he was really cool in the role. And I really suggest all Varney fans to check him out here, you'll love it. Ernest P. Worrell can be a badass, I tell you. Well, overall, low budget action film fans… here's a real treat, enjoy it.

My main critique of this film is twofold: 1) 80's/90's action films like this tended to be reactionary in some way, but the message this one hammers home even silly for its genre, and 2) Jeff Speakman, while a good martial artist, is a charisma vacuum as an actor. First, however, what the film does have in its favor. As previously stated, Jeff Speakman is quite convincing as a martial artist and, in general, as a physical presence. I certainly wouldn't want to mess with him in real life (contrary to whatever Steven Seagal's beef with him was). The plot is also quite efficient, if rudimentary, in the way it sets up the characters and moves the action forward. The first scene in particular establishes Speakman's character as the no-bs "expert" that the title indicated he would be. The action scenes were also well-choreographed and there was some decent camera-work in the slower portions of the film. I also thought that James Brolin and Jim Varney (in a one-scene cameo) did respectable acting work. However, just about everyone else, Speakman included, was halfway decent at best. The writing also wasn't anything to be proud of either. My biggest issue with the film is the "message," if one can call it that. THE EXPERT delivers yet another right-wing fantasy about a lone "hero" who takes on an ineffectual justice system by doling out his own version of justice against the violent criminal who killed his sister. Of course violent criminals should be punished, but the negative way it portrays a female psychologist involved with the case very unsubtly clues the viewer onto what the film's stance is. Not that a film shouldn't take a stance on anything, but I happen to think the stance wasn't very fair. Aside from that, the score was overblown and there were a few pacing issues in the middle portion, where the main character barely gets any screen time. I know I shouldn't have expected too much, considering Jeff Speakman was a third-tier action star at best, but the obvious message-making made it a little bit of a chore to sit through.

This film looked to be another great Speakman flick. However, like Deny says, too much talking, and not enough fighting. The only redeeming factor here is that the fighting scenes were very well done. Speakman is a great martial arts actor, but whoever directed this script did not understand the point of this kind of film. Street Knight and The Perfect Weapon were outstanding martial arts films and I highly recommend them to any action enthusiast.