Whoa - MAJOR mistake nobody is noticing.

[Zhowìntll]

To be honest, this is such a huge mistake that I think Cameron knew all about it, and decided to ignore it, hoping nobody would notice.  And indeed, nobody seems to have noticed.  I can't believe it took me until my 6th viewing to catch onto this.

Anyway, so we're right in the midst of the giant climactic battle.  The Na'vi put up one hell of a fight, but it looks like the Skypeople are going to win the battle.  Jake is the only rider left in the sky.  Neytiri is cornered.  Norm's avatar has been shot.  After being shot, Norm wakes up and comes back to human conciousness.  Then, Eywa answer's Jake's prayer, Jake and Neytiri kick Quaritch's ass, and Neytiri gets the gas-mask on human-Jake, just in time for them to see each other, so to say.

But, wait a minute...where did Norm go?  Didn't he just wake up from his pod, a few minutes ago?  Did he decide to put on a gas-mask and go for an afternoon stroll?  Surely, he knows enough about Pandora to know that in his puny human body, he needs to stay in his relative protection of the research facility.  He should've been there to place the mask on Jake.  I'm letting Cameron slide on this one, because that scene in which Neytiri saves Jake and they truly touch for the first time is just so beautiful.

[Kametu]

There was a shot of norm leaving the facility with both a mask and a gun.  No doubt it made it easier to write the final scene without worrying about getting Norm mixed in, also makes it more touching.  But it there is no mistake here.

[Txen Seri Unil]

Kaltxi!

Actually Norm is out fighting. There is a scene of him just outside the 'relocatable' (the thing with the pods in it along with the food and supplies) with his Exopack on and with a rifle of some kind in his hands. He is moving away from the relocatable in the scene so my guess is he is off fighting somewhere by the time Quaritch arrives.

Does he know that Pandora is a dangerous place? Sure but I think the combination of trauma from being shot while linked to his Avatar and the idea that they might actually lose overrode his concerns about the dangerous environment. To me its perfectly reasonable  that he would get "caught up in the action" and run outside to contribute in any way that he can. Dangers of Pandora be damned!

Its a good thing he did go outside to fight because if he were in the 'relocatable' when Quaritch busts in he might have been killed. Though to be clear, Quaritch doesn't smash the pod Norm was in. If you notice there are three pods in the relocatable; Norm's is at one end (as seen when they are being carried away by the helicopter) and Jake's is at the other end. I am guessing the middle one would have been Grace's but that is just me speculating.

Eywa ngahu,
Txen Seri Unil

[Kìte'eyä Aungia]

To me its perfectly reasonable  that he would get "caught up in the action" and run outside to contribute in any way that he can. Dangers of Pandora be damned!

Well yeah, he was there to fight as a soldier so that's what he did. He kept right on fighting after losing his avatar because he's hardcore. Also, the huge battle would have scared away all of the dangerous Pandora animals anyway.

[MaTe]

Also, the huge battle would have scared away all of the dangerous Pandora animals anyway.

Last time I checked, the huge battle was done by all of the dangerous Pandora animals

[Raltaw]

Kametu and Txen Seri Unil are correct. However I, believe there may be a possibility that James was bored of Norm or had no ideas on what to do with him for the time being so he tossed him aside for use later in the sequel(s).

[kintìomum]

I think it was in the "Movie mistakes" thread -but I'm not sure- were this question rose it's head for the first time.
Conclusion there was that Norm most likely went of to look if his Avatar was alive (enough) to be "repaired".

[Eight]

Why is so that to believe that Norm went out to fight? He just didnt do anything grand enough to warrant it being shown.

I think it was a tiny little thing put in the film to show that Norm wasn't just some science geek - but was committed to the Na'vi and prepared to see it through to the end. He found real courage.

After all, not all the "enemy" humans were in amp suits, so he could have helped make a difference to someone in that battle.

[Tirea Pa'li]

seems all the movie mistakes in Avatar are not movie mistakes.
Cameron - give us just one so the damn movie isnt flawless.
Maybe its only flaw is being flawless.
If i can be so deeply...
phylosophycal 

[Eight]

seems all the movie mistakes in Avatar are not movie mistakes.
Cameron - give us just one so the damn movie isnt flawless.

Hahah. Maybe all the plot holes will be revealed when we see the second movie.

[Technowraith]

To be honest, this is such a huge mistake that I think Cameron knew all about it, and decided to ignore it, hoping nobody would notice.  And indeed, nobody seems to have noticed.  I can't believe it took me until my 6th viewing to catch onto this.

Anyway, so we're right in the midst of the giant climactic battle.  The Na'vi put up one hell of a fight, but it looks like the Skypeople are going to win the battle.  Jake is the only rider left in the sky.  Neytiri is cornered.  Norm's avatar has been shot.  After being shot, Norm wakes up and comes back to human conciousness.  Then, Eywa answer's Jake's prayer, Jake and Neytiri kick Quaritch's ass, and Neytiri gets the gas-mask on human-Jake, just in time for them to see each other, so to say.

But, wait a minute...where did Norm go?  Didn't he just wake up from his pod, a few minutes ago?  Did he decide to put on a gas-mask and go for an afternoon stroll?  Surely, he knows enough about Pandora to know that in his puny human body, he needs to stay in his relative protection of the research facility.  He should've been there to place the mask on Jake.  I'm letting Cameron slide on this one, because that scene in which Neytiri saves Jake and they truly touch for the first time is just so beautiful.

When Norm's Avatar got killed, the battle was still pretty close by. It was before the animals came and intervened. So Norm is out there fighting. The scene with him outside the portable lab with the gun has been referenced here. He's out there. When you see the humans being herded back to the shuttle back at Hell's Gate, you see Norm among those chosen to stay.

[L4Isoside]

A more major thing that i have just thought about is, Quaritch has previously been in there (where the pods where) and knew exactly which pod Jake was in, yet when he came back to kill them, he didn't know which pod he was in.

Ofcorse he could have just forgot, thought it may have changed, adrenalin making him destroy everything etc. But still, he still should have known.

[Shoep]

Norm's avatar takes a fatal blow to his face by a AMP suit-driver who finds his avatar body.

Norm himself goes out to continue the battle, but then hears that Trudy gets killed, he collapses. As they were in love.

And yes, that's in the script. Still doesn't explain why the animals didn't kill Norm, though, as they went after all the RDA personell.

[Txen Seri Unil]

A more major thing that i have just thought about is, Quaritch has previously been in there (where the pods where) and knew exactly which pod Jake was in, yet when he came back to kill them, he didn't know which pod he was in.

Ofcorse he could have just forgot, thought it may have changed, adrenalin making him destroy everything etc. But still, he still should have known.

Kaltxi!

This is a fair point but why would Quaritch think he would be in the same pod? I think he spent so little time in or near the Link room that he had no reason to suspect they usually use the same pods. Also, I think he was in a hurry. If he would had paused for a moment before he smashed the window he would have seen the bio-readout display that would have indicated which pod Jake was in (or at least which one was occupied).

Then again if he knew the pods were not air-tight maybe he figured just smashing the window would be good enough to mess up anyone that was in any pod.

Eywa ngahu,
Txen Seri Unil

[Txen Seri Unil]

Norm's avatar takes a fatal blow to his face by a AMP suit-driver who finds his avatar body.

Norm himself goes out to continue the battle, but then hears that Trudy gets killed, he collapses. As they were in love.

And yes, that's in the script. Still doesn't explain why the animals didn't kill Norm, though, as they went after all the RDA personell.

Kaltxi!

Wait what? We're talking about the movie, not the script. The script changed, as scripts do, and we are left with the movie we all watched.

As far as the animals killing "all RDA personnel" I have to disagree. If the animals were guided by Eywa they were only attacking the humans who threatened "the balance of life". Norm was not one of those threatening the balance.

Eywa ngahu,
Txen Seri Unil

[Shoep]

I know scripts change, but i dont think it changes the story, i just think they didn't have time to film it, or the movie would drag on for too long. Or it'd be distracting or not for kids younger then 12 anymore. That doesn't mean the story changes, atleast not for me. And i guess your explanation makes sense why the animals wouldn't kill Norm off.

[Technowraith]

A more major thing that i have just thought about is, Quaritch has previously been in there (where the pods where) and knew exactly which pod Jake was in, yet when he came back to kill them, he didn't know which pod he was in.

Ofcorse he could have just forgot, thought it may have changed, adrenalin making him destroy everything etc. But still, he still should have known.

Quaritch entered the portable lab when they were stationed at Site 26, the Hallelujah Mountains. He wasn't at the lab at the Tree of Souls until the final fight at the end of the movie.

[Coyote]

Norm did one of three things:

1- went to retrieve his Avatar for repair.
2- went to continue the fight on foot, since it was better than doing nothing and worrying.
3- went to retrieve Trudy's body since it was originally part of the movie that they had a relationship.

All are logical and require no fantastic jumps in logic to imagine.

[omängum fra'uti]

That he could move his avatar on his own is a bit of a stretch though.  Can you imagine how much avatars weigh?  I mean the ideal weight for a 8 foot human male would be something like 350 lbs...  Na'vi have another foot or two on top of that...

[Technowraith]

Norm did one of three things:

1- went to retrieve his Avatar for repair.
2- went to continue the fight on foot, since it was better than doing nothing and worrying.
3- went to retrieve Trudy's body since it was originally part of the movie that they had a relationship.

All are logical and require no fantastic jumps in logic to imagine.

#3 may be a bit of an impossibility: Trudy was blown up by Quaritch in the overhead air battle.

#2 is the most plausible and feasible, and most likely the most accepted.

#1 isn't outside the realm of impossibility, but may be difficult. Especially since Na'vi probably weight more than humans. And even a light human (say 100 pounds) at dead weight is exceptionally hard to carry/move through jungle/forest brush.