Plot holes in "Avatar"

[.[B@lL15T1C].]

I don't think they were after resources that they needed and had run out of, they were after a certain resource that sold for alot. Basically, they were trying make money not survive.

That's bullshit. Why would there be such a high demand for this resource if it wasn't necessary?

gold

the whole thing is "dances with wolves", but the wolves are aliens

I'm hoping you're making a joke there. The one from south park is the aliens are like the native Americans in Dances with Wolves, not wolves.

 

[Erja_Perttu]

Your missing one signifigant hole:

- Where in god's name did every creature on Pandora show up like that during the final fight? Alright, Signourney mentioned the trees and plants were all interconnected, but the animals? Deus Ex Machania?

Spoiler

Not really, because all those animals had the tendril that they could connect with, and Jake asked for help from the shiny god tree thingy. I thik it as meant to be a 'will of the planet' Gaia representation, affirming that everything truly was connected.

 

[Captain Schpack]

Norm "died" first and took a gun and went off to fight. Jake "died" later and the Na'vi princess gave him and oxygen mask so he could breathe. When he actually did die (he couldn't reach the mask) he wasn't far enough along so that if he did get some O2 he could come back.

 

[Danpascooch]

So I went to the theater yesterday and saw Avatar in 3d. It was pretty good. Today, I was reflecting on the movie a little when I realized there was something odd. I shall recount the scenes in which this plot hole occurs.

WARNING, SPOILERS

Hole #1 (my friend actually pointed this one out): In the beginning scene where Jake first takes control of the avatar, he comes across numerous other avatars (the ones playing basketball, numerous others you see scattered about). These ones are never seen in the movie again. Who's avatars are they and what purpose do they serve?

Hole #2: During the final battle, we see that the avatar of Norm (the other scientist guy) is killed. Norm emerges from his pod, perfectly fine but visibly shaken. Later, once the main bad guy dies, Jake's real body ends up on the ground outside his pod, struggling for air. Na'vi princess lady comes in and everythings fine.

END SPOILERS

#1: Ok, so it's not really a plot hole, but it's still interesting to point out. There seems to be no purpose for them to be there.

#2: So, where did Norm go? Did he just wander off into the jungle? Surely he would have gone to help his friend Jake, who was struggling for breath on the floor of the mobile outpost. We see him again later at the end, but where did he go?

Did anyone else catch these? Or am I just wrong and missed something that would explain this?

You missed the BIGGEST one.

Remember the helicopter girl who took off in the middle of a battle?

HELLO people, that is called desertion, and it gets you life in prison, you think they'd let her just walk around, much less SEE THE PRISONERS after that? Seriously, she would totally have been in a cell with them

Another thing I though funny was when the corporate guy picks up that rock and goes "This is why we're here, because this little rock sells for (forget the number, but it was many millions) and then he just sets it back on his desk, COMPLETELY UNPROTECTED OR LOCKED AWAY, lol. (Would tens of millions really be that much at all 150 years from now?)

 

[MasterKirov]

You are forgetting that all of those animals are fiercely territorial... and what has the industrial-military complex been doing all this time? Invading their territory and burning down their nests/homes. At this point, they are PISSED.

True, but they haven't shown up in that kind of numbers at all. Not to mention with said deforestation, it's going to kill quite a few of them. Not to mention despite word going around the whole of Pandora, the Na'vi only gain 2,000 warriors. Allow me to emphesise that figure - 2,000?!?! In perspective, there are 6 billion human beings on Earth today, and no doubt more at the point Avatar sets us up with.

 

[Danpascooch]

Where is Zuko's mom ?

Oh that Avatar?

lol, still, good question.

 

[TheDoctor455]

You are forgetting that all of those animals are fiercely territorial... and what has the industrial-military complex been doing all this time? Invading their territory and burning down their nests/homes. At this point, they are PISSED.

True, but they haven't shown up in that kind of numbers at all. Not to mention with said deforestation, it's going to kill quite a few of them. Not to mention despite word going around the whole of Pandora, the Na'vi only gain 2,000 warriors. Allow me to emphesise that figure - 2,000?!?! In perspective, there are 6 billion human beings on Earth today, and no doubt more at the point Avatar sets us up with.

1. Pandora is a moon, and is thus smaller than the Earth.
2. The Na'vi don't have the technology or inclination to use faster modes of travel, and since communication is limited to word-of-mouth, this would take a while.
3. Even once word had reached some of the more distant tribes, they might not believe the news.
4. I seriously doubt that all 6 billion + humans would be trying to colonize Pandora. It just wouldn't be practical.
5. Back to the critters thing... think of it this way, as their territory was being encroached on and they saw members of their own species being picked off, these critters would do what any animal would do: run away. And judging from what I can remember about what was revealed about Pandora's geography, this would push these critters back to more or less the same general area as to where the Na'vi were.

 

[Danpascooch]

Was there in actual part showing him picking up the gun and going out to keep fighting after his avatar had died?

Yes

Yeah there was, but then again, that really doesn't make any more sense then him disappearing with no explanation anyway, what the fuck was he doing? Trying to see how quickly he could get eaten by a big colorful animal?

 

[literallyanythingelse]

Why was it that the most expensive film ever was unable to come up with a better name for this mysterious substance than unobtanium? WHY? That's what I want to know.

 

[Danpascooch]

Was there in actual part showing him picking up the gun and going out to keep fighting after his avatar had died?

Yes

Yeah there was, but then again, that really doesn't make any more sense then him disappearing with no explanation anyway, what the fuck was he doing? Trying to see how quickly he could get eaten by a big colorful animal?

His motives don't matter, if there's an explanation its not a plot hole.

There was an explanation for his not being there, he left, but that explanation now requires a new explanation, why did he leave?

That new question has no explanation, and is thus a plot hole.

Motives certainly do matter, if an act is stupid and illogical and has no explanation, the complete lack of motive is a plot hole.

LOGIC BOMB!

 

[MasterKirov]

You are forgetting that all of those animals are fiercely territorial... and what has the industrial-military complex been doing all this time? Invading their territory and burning down their nests/homes. At this point, they are PISSED.

True, but they haven't shown up in that kind of numbers at all. Not to mention with said deforestation, it's going to kill quite a few of them. Not to mention despite word going around the whole of Pandora, the Na'vi only gain 2,000 warriors. Allow me to emphesise that figure - 2,000?!?! In perspective, there are 6 billion human beings on Earth today, and no doubt more at the point Avatar sets us up with.

1. Pandora is a moon, and is thus smaller than the Earth.
2. The Na'vi don't have the technology or inclination to use faster modes of travel, and since communication is limited to word-of-mouth, this would take a while.
3. Even once word had reached some of the more distant tribes, they might not believe the news.
4. I seriously doubt that all 6 billion + humans would be trying to colonize Pandora. It just wouldn't be practical.
5. Back to the critters thing... think of it this way, as their territory was being encroached on and they saw members of their own species being picked off, these critters would do what any animal would do: run away. And judging from what I can remember about what was revealed about Pandora's geography, this would push these critters back to more or less the same general area as to where the Na'vi were.

1) True
2) Also true.
3) Seriously?
4) I didn't suggest that. It's simply a population comparison.
5) If that was the case, why didn't they do that before?

 

[Danpascooch]

Was there in actual part showing him picking up the gun and going out to keep fighting after his avatar had died?

Yes

Yeah there was, but then again, that really doesn't make any more sense then him disappearing with no explanation anyway, what the fuck was he doing? Trying to see how quickly he could get eaten by a big colorful animal?

His motives don't matter, if there's an explanation its not a plot hole.

There was an explanation for his not being there, he left, but that explanation now requires a new explanation, why did he leave?

That new question has no explanation, and is thus a plot hole.

Motives certainly do matter, if an act is stupid and illogical and has no explanation, the complete lack of motive is a plot hole.

LOGIC BOMB!

I see your point, but it's still not a plot hole. He was portrayed as a very Pro-Na'Vi character throughout the film and in the Battle Sequence he seemed to be showing signs of bravery. It's not completely illogical that he decided to keep on fighting.

I guess so, but DAMN was it a stupid idea.

 

[Sebass]

So I haven't seen the movie, but the way I get it, the story is basically:

So humans need unobtanium and are desperate to get it. I didn't see the movie but I'm guessing that the only way to get unobtanium was to annihilate the Na'vi or something? They fail to get it and leave. The Na'vi are all happy because they now can be left alone and keep on living, while the humans are dieing .. But doesn't this make them EXACTLY the same as humans?

Human pespective: We need to live and for that we need the unobtanium and the Na'vi can die for all we care.
Na'vi perspective: We need to live and for that, the humans can't take out unobtanium but they can die for all we care.

So how is it again that humans are the bad guys? Unless ofcourse, unobtanium was aquirable via some other method, but than the expensive slaughtering of a population would still be pretty stupid and unnecesary.

Correct me if I'm wrong here.

 

[Nigh Invulnerable]

Why was it that the most expensive film ever was unable to come up with a better name for this mysterious substance than unobtanium? WHY? That's what I want to know.

That is the reason I spent most of the movie giggling quietly to myself, "Unobtanium? Really? I can come up with a better name off the top of my head: Zalek crystals."

 

[DicyDax]

1) Just pointing out a thing about the orange bird. That's a Toruc ( as far as i remember). The things you can only bond with once is an ikran. Completely different species.

2) Regarding the whole aspect of unobtanium: (I agree, stupid name, but it doesn't matter that much) While it is required to save the human race, as well as travel through space the way they do it in Avatar (according to this http://james-camerons-avatar.wikia.com/wiki/Unobtanium), it does not justify genocide, which I think is the reason I sympathized with the Na'vi.

 

[TheDoctor455]

You are forgetting that all of those animals are fiercely territorial... and what has the industrial-military complex been doing all this time? Invading their territory and burning down their nests/homes. At this point, they are PISSED.

True, but they haven't shown up in that kind of numbers at all. Not to mention with said deforestation, it's going to kill quite a few of them. Not to mention despite word going around the whole of Pandora, the Na'vi only gain 2,000 warriors. Allow me to emphesise that figure - 2,000?!?! In perspective, there are 6 billion human beings on Earth today, and no doubt more at the point Avatar sets us up with.

1. Pandora is a moon, and is thus smaller than the Earth.
2. The Na'vi don't have the technology or inclination to use faster modes of travel, and since communication is limited to word-of-mouth, this would take a while.
3. Even once word had reached some of the more distant tribes, they might not believe the news.
4. I seriously doubt that all 6 billion + humans would be trying to colonize Pandora. It just wouldn't be practical.
5. Back to the critters thing... think of it this way, as their territory was being encroached on and they saw members of their own species being picked off, these critters would do what any animal would do: run away. And judging from what I can remember about what was revealed about Pandora's geography, this would push these critters back to more or less the same general area as to where the Na'vi were.

1) True
2) Also true.
3) Seriously?
4) I didn't suggest that. It's simply a population comparison.
5) If that was the case, why didn't they do that before?

3. Okay, maybe there was something a bit iffy about that one.
5. They may have tried to defend themselves before... and while this isn't actually mentioned in the film, I rather got the impression that the industrial-military complex had equipment to deal with them efficiently... i.e. weapons/grenades/devices designed to scare these animals off first and kill them if necessary. And since the critters wouldn't have had much warning, once the military came in, they would be completely taken by surprise. Also, much of what the company had been doing before was sending in large hill-sized remote-controlled bulldozers through the jungle, and to my memory none of the animals were nearly big enough to take those things on. And I know for a fact that animals usually avoid attacking things larger than themselves. The reason that they do this later on is partly because the military is paying more attention to the Na'vi, and so is unprepared for the various critters rushing them, and its also because they (geographically speaking... from my memory) don't have anywhere else to go... hell, those bird-things already live in that area.

 

[Flagcapper2k9]

I can say this, unobtanium, if it was key to humanity's survival, wouldn't be mined almost exclusively by corporate interests, governments would take part in the procurement, which we clearly didn't see. Capitalism was just taking place, especially with all the references to stockholders.

Am I the only one to infer that Pandora was 100% populated by plant evolved lifeforms? The Na'vi and all the animals had root structures that they used to communicate telepathically, or was I the only one to notice that their ponytails were in the ground during the ceremonies?

Another easy means is the fact that the Na'vi had carbon fiber skeletal structures, very plant like. Also there is the similarity between this race and the Delvians from Farscape.

 

[Viking Incognito]

#1 is rather puzzling.

 

[Ryan-Phoenixan]

I actually came to think that some of the other avatars weren't really avatars but just Na'vi who were just remnants from the school that got shut down or something (that was my first thought when I first saw them all outside), though I could be horribly wrong.

Oh, and edit here:
lol unobtanium. I had a good laugh with that myself. There are games with corny stories out there that come up with better names for rare undiscovered minerals and materials.

 

[Ignignokt]

What I don't understand is the whole deal with the big flying things. Supposedly, you "connect for life" with a certain one, but halfway through Jake ditches his for the big orange one.

I noticed that too. I personally attach to things too much to just throw my old one away.

Also, what's with the huge jungle cat that evolved to be too big to easily navigate the dense jungle it inhabits? It has to crash through trees constantly while chasing prey.

And those little firefly-like bugs with the umbrella wings must get real sick always spinning around like that when they fly.

And why did all the Na'vi arrows bounce harmlessly off the jets at first, and then at the end they are blasting straight through the cockpit windows?

And you know the main reason Jake likes the Na'vi life better is because his legs work in his avatar.