Arrow: H.I.V.E.

**Arrow: H.I.V.E.**was a 2011 superhero action film based on the DC Comics superhero, Green Arrow. The film starred Christian Bale, Morena Baccarin, Ray Stevenson, Jillian Murray, Taylor Schilling, Brad Garrett, Marisa Tomei, Tom Ellis, Gillain Anderson, Garrett Hedlund, Margarita Levieva, Tobias Menzies, Ben Browder, and Tom Cruise. The film was released worldwide on February 4, 2011 and received mixed reviews and was a box office success, grossing $1.341 billion worldwide, which made it the 3rd highest grossing film at it's time, though now it is the 8th.

## Plot

*The film is presented in a nonlinear narrative, jumping between the present and past. This is a linear summary of the plot.*
8 years ago, three years after the Queen's Gambit sunk, Oliver is brought in by Amanda Waller to drop him off on Lian Yu to stop terrorists there. He teams up with Taiana Venediktov to stop Baron Reiter, who is the leader of a drug operation. However, Oliver and Taiana learn that that was just a cover to steal a tiki head that is magical. They are able to stop Reiter but Taiana touches the head and is corrupted, forcing Oliver to kill her. Oliver made her a promise to see her family if she didn't make it out, so he leaves for Russia to find her family.
Two years after the events of *Arrow: League of Assassins*, Oliver and Felicity have been living a suburban life in Ivy Town. Felicity has been running Palmer Technologies after it was left to her by Ray after his death. However, in Star City, Diggle, Laurel, and Thea have been facing the "Ghosts" for a year now, while Quentin and the other city officials are running the city due to no one wanting to be the mayor, as the past three plus one candidate have died. However, Damien Darhk approaches them and offers to fix their Ghost problem if they give him half of the city's budget money. The council refuses so Darhk kills them all but Quentin. Laurel and Thea ask Oliver and Felicity to rejoin the team just as Oliver was about to propose to Felicity. The two agree to come back just to stop the Ghosts.

However, Quentin is revealed to be working for Darhk or else he will kill Laurel. Oliver decides to run for mayor against Darhk's wife, Ruvé. Oliver also proposes to Felicity, who accepts. Due to Oliver running against Ruvé, Darhk sends his assailants after them. Oliver survives but Felicity is paralyzed. Felicity gets her Palmer Technologies friend, Curtis Holt, to build a device that can help her paralysis. Oliver is revealed to have a son which Darhk kidnaps. Oliver is able to rescue his son, who he sends away, but Felicity discovers that Oliver has known for about three months now and breaks up with him just as her implant activates.

Laurel and Thea decide to resurrect Sara with the Lazarus Pit, though Nyssa and Merlyn are warry because no one has ever been resurrected with the pit before. Sara awakens though she has lost her soul. Oliver contacts his friend John Constantine, who gets Sara's soul back. However, Sara leaves shortly afterward. Merlyn trades his place as Ra's al Ghul to Nyssa in exchange for a "potion" that can cure Thea's bloodlust, which Oliver forces him to do. The team learns Merlyn has teamed with Darhk and that they plan to take everyone they are fond of to a safe underground bunker the size of a town and blow up the rest of the Earth to create a new one. Thea's new boyfriend, Alex Davis, is revealed to be working with Darhk.

They confront Darhk at Iron Heights and Darhk stabs Laurel after Quentin betrays him. Laurel dies at the hospital after making Oliver promise something. The team finds the underground bunker and manage to blow it up after getting everyone out, though Ruvé and Alex are caught in the blast and die. Darhk now wants to send missiles everywhere without any safe place to stay, just wanting the world to burn now. Curtis is brought in while Quentin gets out of town with Donna, Felicity's mom, who he has started dating. The team stops Darhk, who Oliver is forced to kill. Thea retires as Speedy, Diggle rejoins the army, and Merlyn is left alone. Oliver is made mayor of Star City with Thea as his Assistant Mayor and Felicity being the last of his team.

## Cast

* Christian Bale as Oliver Queen/The Arrow
* Morena Baccarin as Laurel Lance/Black Canary
* Ray Stevenson as John Diggle/Spartan
* Jillian Murray as Felicity Smoak/Overwatch
* Taylor Schilling as Thea Queen/Speedy
* Brad Garrett as Malcolm Merlyn
* Marisa Tomei as Donna Smoak
* Tom Ellis as Curtis Holt
* Gillian Anderson as Ruvé Adams
* Garrett Hedlund as Alex Davis
* Margarita Levieva as Taiana Venediktov
* Tobias Menzies as Baron Reiter
* Ben Browder as Quentin Lance
* Tom Cruise as Damien Darhk

## Reception

### **Box office**

The film grossed $1,341,511,219 worldwide, $381,011,219 in the United States and Canada, and $960,500,000 in foreign areas.

### **Critical reception**

*Arrow: H.I.V.E.* recieved mixed reviews. The film currently holds a 48% on Rotten Tomatoes, and a 30 out of 100 on Metacritic.