10 Famous Movie Plot Holes (That Are NOT Plot Holes)

7. How Are There Explosions On Pandora Without Oxygen? - Avatar

Terminator death
20th Century Studios

Avatar takes place in the future after humanity had depleted Earth's natural resources, forcing them to relocate to a moon called Pandora. Because humans can't breathe in the atmosphere, they have to wear oxygen masks.

When the humans declare war on the Na'vi, they destroy most of their home with missiles and bombs, causing massive explosions. But... how can there be explosions... if there's no oxygen? Considering the director, James Cameron, was fine-tuning the script for over a decade, you'd assume he would have noticed this inconsistency.

Here's the thing; he did. At no point in the film is it stated that Pandora lacks oxygen.

We, as the audience, assume it does because humans can't breathe on the surface. However, the reason why humans can't survive out in the open is because the atmosphere has a toxic amount of carbon dioxide. Cameron could've just ignored this minor plot point if he wanted to so it's admirable he found a way around it so the plot still makes sense.

And, let's be perfectly honest; did you actually think James Cameron would make a film WITHOUT explosions?

Contributor

James Egan has been with Whatculture for five years and prominently works on Horror, Film, and Video Games. He's written over 80 books including 1000 Facts about Horror Movies Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about The Greatest Films Ever Made Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about Video Games Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts About James Bond 1000 Facts About TV Shows