Green Lantern: Blackest Night

***Green Lantern: Blackest Night*** is a 2012 superhero film, a sequel to *Green Lantern* and *Justice League: Siege*. It is the sixteenth installment in the DC Cinematic Universe.
It was directed by Marc Webb and stars Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Mark Strong, Rick Cosnett, Henry Cavill, David Harewood, and Joseph Fiennes. The third film in the series, *Green Lantern: Whitest Day* was released in 2015.

## Plot

Nekron, the leader of the Black Lanterns, who thrive on Death, arrives on Earth and steals the body of Superman, resurrecting him with a Black Lantern ring. On Oa, Hal is devestated after nearly all of his Green Lantern friends have died: Kilowog, Jade, G'Nort, and Tomar-Re are among them. Hal is sent by one of the Guardians to investigate a disturbance in Lantern Corp on Earth. Hal discovers Nekron and the Black Lantern Superman. Hal is almost defeated but he is rescued by Carol Ferris, a Star Sapphire.

Hal and Carol report to Nekron what has happened and he reveals that an eighth Lantern Corp was an ancient Corp from millennia ago, that thrived on Death. Hal and Carol learn the only way to stop Nekron is get seven non-Lanterns that have either nearly or fully been exposed to Black Lantern energy and give those seven the powers of each of the Lanterns. Hal and Carol get the help of Sinestro, who is no longer a Lantern. Hal goes to Earth where he finds Oliver Queen/Green Arrow being attacked by Nekron. Hal saves him and takes him to Oa. Hal and Carol realize they just need four more non-Lanterns, with Sinestro, Oliver, and Ganthet. However, they are attacked by Nekron's special forces, Kilowog, Jade, G'Nort, and Tomar-Re. Hal and Carol fend them off and find on Earth Lex Luthor and Malcolm Lord, another business mogul being absorbed by the Black Lantern energy. They rescue them and take them to Oa.

Martian Manhunter arrives and reveals he wants to be a part of their crusade. Hal is rejoiced he is alive only to realize he is a Black Lantern. Martian Manhunter escapes with Hal and Carol and Oliver travel to Nekron's hideout and find his special forces, along with Superman, Martian Manhunter, Abin Sur, and many other dead Lanterns. Nekron kills Hal and then resurrects him. Carol tries to help him but can't. She travels back to Oa, secretly with Black Lantern energy that she exposes to Sinestro and Ganthet, but then stops it. Carol reveals Hal has been transformed. Sinestro is granted a temporary Green Lantern ring to help save Hal. Lex and Malcolm begin to plot an escape.

Sinestro attacks Carol and leaves her to die in space without her ring. Sinestro uses the power of Love and Fear to create a new branch of Lanterns; the Brown Lanterns. Sinestro creates his base only to be attacked by the Zamarons, who rescued Carol. Sinestro is killed by the Zamarons, meaning Carol needs to find another non-Lantern. A non-Lantern Zamaron volunteers and Carol exposes her to Black Lantern energy just enough to not make her a Black Lantern. Nekron finds Sinestro and makes him a Black Lantern. Hal is able to snap out of the Black Lantern and flies to Oa, where he finds Carol with of the seven they need. Hal learns from Ganthet that the White Lantern energy will need to be combined with the purest of Lantern entity, the Green entity.

Nekron sends Martian Manhunter and Superman to collect Carol and Hal. However, Hal is able to get his friends out of the Black Lantern. With seven non-Lanterns having been exposed to Black Lantern energy, Hal brings out the Entity to give each of the Seven a color. However, the entity needs a guide like all others. He decides he must do this, but it would mean being trapped like this forever. Sinestro, back to his normal self, stops him and nearly destroys the Entity, sending pain to all Green Lanterns, present or former, including Sinestro, giving Hal time to get into the Entity. The seven are given colors that are combined to form White Lantern energy. Nekron and his Black Lanterns are destroyed, and as a portal to Hell opens, Hal saves his Green Lantern friends and Superman, but Martian Manhunter and Abin Sur fall through before they can be saved. The disturbance in the universe is gone and Superman returns to Metropolis with Lex and Malcolm, both arrested again for what they have done in the past. Kilowog and the other Green Lanterns are granted rings once again and Carol returns to Zamaron.

In a mid-credits scene, on the side of a road in Smallville, a White Lantern battery is seen in a crater.

## Cast

* Ryan Reynolds as Hal Jordan/Green Lantern
* Blake Lively as Carol Ferris
* Mark Strong as Thaal Sinestro
* Rick Cosnett as Oliver Queen/Green Arrow
* Henry Cavill as Clark Kent/Superman
* Michael Clarke Duncan as Kilowog
* Jeff Fahey as Ganthet
* Angela Bassett as Jade
* Peter Facinelli as Malcolm Lord
* Taika Waititi as G'Nort
* Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor
* Temuera Morrison as Abin Sur
* Geoffrey Rush as Tomar-Re
* David Harewood as J'onn J'onzz/Martian Manhunter
* Joseph Fiennes as Nekron

## Reception

### **Critical reception**

*Green Lantern: Blackest Night* received generally favorable reviews by critics upon release with critics praising the performance of Ryan Reynolds. On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 72% based on 307 reviews, with an average rating of 6.7/10.