The Navi didn't notice for three months??

[Trailraven]

It took the "dozers" three months to arrive in the vicinity of Home Tree. How could the Navi not have been aware of an impending confrontation?

[Di' Ana]

looks like a plot hole. I have often thought the same thing. Why were the Na'Vi not keeping close tabs on the RDA encroaching on their territory?

[Aungia]

An excellent question with no quickly evident "save".

"They simply didn't scout in that direction" would be quite lame, and unbelievable.

Maybe the Tree of Voices was actually outside their territory, but I hope Cameron can do better than that in the novelizaton!

[Human No More]

I would assume, the tree of voices was far enough away (based on the time it took for them to get back). But then, Quaritch did imply that they would be at hometree in 3 months, when he does attack it then he does with helicopters and there aren't any ground troops around. Maybe the ground attack got delayed somehow.

[Aungia]

I would assume, the tree of voices was far enough away (based on the time it took for them to get back). But then, Quaritch did imply that they would be at hometree in 3 months, when he does attack it then he does with helicopters and there aren't any ground troops around. Maybe the ground attack got delayed somehow.

Actually he says "that's when the dozers get there" or something very similar, which seems more than an implication....

We don't know how far the Tree of Voices is from Hometree. By the time Quaritch is rolling with Pandora hate and hits Hometree, it's probably not too important exactly where the dozers are waiting.

But that still doesn't tell us what the Na'vi were doing while the dozers inexorably approached....

[Huurraaa]

I think one reason for RDA to wage a surprise attack is to give Jake a chance to gain the Na'vi's trust.

Imagine the Na'vi had been informed of the "3-month" plan: their hatred toward humans would've been stronger, and it would've been more unlikely for Jake to be accepted into the clan. If Jake indeed had failed to get in, a negotiation would've never taken place, he could never have gathered the intels required for an effective strike, the Na'vi would've been prepared to defend their home, and RDA would've had a harder time getting things done.

[Vauktu]

Actually he says "that's when the dozers get there" or something very similar, which seems more than an implication....


This.

[Spartan117cjl]

I kind of feel like they weren't actually en route for 3 months. I don't know how long a 'click' is but I'm not sure it would take it 3 months to get 200 clicks. Not when you have remotely controlled Vehicles and what not.

[Neytiri'Makto]

I was wondering the same, but isn't it possible that the dozers were airlifted to the area as well? I don't think they meant it would take 3 months for them to arrive, but that they were scheduled to arrive at the site in that timeframe.

[DreamWalks]

I kind of feel like they weren't actually en route for 3 months. I don't know how long a 'click' is but I'm not sure it would take it 3 months to get 200 clicks. Not when you have remotely controlled Vehicles and what not.

Well a 'klick' is a kilometre, and if I remember correctly, the 3D hologram displayed Hometree as being 92k away. So I wouldn't guess that it would take 3 months to travel that distance. But they said 'the dozers will be there in 3 months' so they probably left a month ahead of time, to allow for some diplomacy.

[Dreamwalker]

I thought he meant it would take 3 months to get to Pandora, not travel to the Tree of Voices. I doubt that would take 3 months!

[Aihwa]

I think it was more of a definite end. As in, in 3 months we start rolling over stuff, not in 3 months we get ready to start dozing.

[Spartan117cjl]

I think it was more of a definite end. As in, in 3 months we start rolling over stuff, not in 3 months we get ready to start dozing.

Yeah. Either that or that's when they were getting the dozers to Pandora itself.

[xcrunner08]

I always thought the dozers that knocked down the Tree of Voice was what he was referring to. They continued to bulldoze the land from Hells Gate to Hometree, but the distance made it so that it would take 3 months to reach Hometree. I am guessing the territory from the Tree of Voices to Hells Gate is not necessarily considered Omaticaya land, so they did not notice until the bulldozers reached the Tree of Voices at which point everything went downhill fast.

[AC130StandingBy]

Based on what I saw from the film, the dozers seemed to be traveling at a modest 10 km/h while tearing down the trees in its path. That said, it would take the dozers and escorts 9 hours or so to reach Hometree. Perhaps the Tree of Voices is even closer. They could've traveled there overnight or on the previous day.

[will]

it's possible the dozers were busy doing other stuff in other areas (e.g. in the mine that featured at the start of the movie) and then it only took a few weeks to get to hometree

also it would appear from reading between the lines of the screenplay, that Quaritch deliberately picked the route to go via the Tree of Voices in order to provoke the Na'vi into attacking so he could then counter attack with overwhelming force. It's possible therefore that the route was changed at the last minute.

Also possible that since there was a line on the 3d map, a road was already there and only the last part had to result in destruction of trees.

Will

[Treefriend]

Maybe they advanced quickly overnight? But that's just trying to fill the hole I guess. Makes me look forward to the Novel!

[Huurraaa]

Even if the dozers travel at 10km/h only, going 200km would take just 20 hours. I'm pretty sure Quarich meant that Jake would have 3 months to convince the Na'vi before they cut down Hometree (but "when the dozers get there" sounds "cooler")

[PnkMaister]

looks like a plot hole. I have often thought the same thing. Why were the Na'Vi not keeping close tabs on the RDA encroaching on their territory?

And then do what exactly throwing arrows at the damn things was innefectual and the Na'vi simply did not have the knowledge at the time to set uo booby traps and that sort of guerrilla stuff which would have been invaluable to stop their advance. Hell dig a hole place pointy spikes and when the bulldozers try to get through they crash through and end up disabled as a result. Heck it infuriated me that Jake being a Marine did not took the Rambo approach when it came to the ground fight setting all kinds of deadly booby-traps for them Amp suit mercs. But I guess Cameron just wanted to keep a PG-13 rating and was fearful of adding just that much violence.That has to be the reason because otherwise the fight would have been far more believable as being led by a former marine.

[Neytiri'Makto]

Now that I think about it, the Na'vi were fully aware of what was happening, there were arrows in the wheels of the dozer that almost ran over Jake when he arrived...maybe they just didn't think that the dozers would actually come all the way out to Hometree.

[nimbleVagrant]

Now that I think about it, the Na'vi were fully aware of what was happening, there were arrows in the wheels of the dozer that almost ran over Jake when he arrived...maybe they just didn't think that the dozers would actually come all the way out to Hometree.

Those were dumptrucks coming from the dig site.

As DreamWalks said, Hometree was only about 90km from hell's gate and we don't know what kind road system was already in place. I can easily see it only taking the RDA a few hours to reach Hometree.

[aoitennyo]

I just wonder "JAKE!!! Why the hell didn't you TELL them???"

[Neytiri'Makto]

Those were dumptrucks coming from the dig site.

As DreamWalks said, Hometree was only about 90km from hell's gate and we don't know what kind road system was already in place. I can easily see it only taking the RDA a few hours to reach Hometree.

Ahh you're right, those weren't bullldozers lol.

Was the digsite south of Hell's Gate? I guess that means the the Na'vi had sent scouts down to the area, probably to check out what they were up to then?

[SBG]

I think quaritch meant that dozers will start in three months.... they could clear a lot of forest in only one day....

[MGCJerry]

As someone who has done clearing, the "the dozers will get there in 3 months" is more of a time table of when the dozers will be done with their current workload and will move to Hometree. Usually when you're clearing you might say, "oh, I'll be in the next location in 3 weeks", this doesn't means it will take you 3 weeks travel there, but it will be 3 weeks before you are free to go there.

So just as SBG said, and in my view the dozers won't be heading to Hometree until 3 months.

[saska]

It took the "dozers" three months to arrive in the vicinity of Home Tree. How could the Navi not have been aware of an impending confrontation?

we have to know how Na'vi measure their time, mounts, years etc etc...

[Imperius Dictatio]

It's possible humans were using Terran time.

Most Sci-Fi they use both the time Earth would be using as well as the time the Planet they're on would use.

Usally referred to as either Terran Time or *Insert Planet Name Here* Time.

[saska]

Terran time is too obvious... maybe Cameron invented something else.

[Jake]

Just because he said the dozers will be there in 3 months doesnt mean that it takes them 3 months to get there. Thats stupid imo even if they went 0.1 km/h which is ridiculous it would take them less than 3 months.

He was just saying that he has 3 months untill he sends the dozers there, imho.

[Human No More]

Yeah, 3 months until they are available would make a lot more sense - then presumably it would take a few days after that to actually get there.

[rapunzel77]

I was thinking that it was in 3 months when they were scheduled to be there at Hometree, not that it takes them that long to travel there.

[Aungia]

As someone who has done clearing, the "the dozers will get there in 3 months" is more of a time table of when the dozers will be done with their current workload and will move to Hometree. Usually when you're clearing you might say, "oh, I'll be in the next location in 3 weeks", this doesn't means it will take you 3 weeks travel there, but it will be 3 weeks before you are free to go there.

So just as SBG said, and in my view the dozers won't be heading to Hometree until 3 months.

There ya go.

Selfridge said something about shareholders hating "bad quarterly statements", which could imply that they were facing one of those. A "quarter" being 3 months, it would explain Quaritch's timetable.

I have no doubt Quaritch would speak in Terran time.

[Imperius Dictatio]

Terran time is too obvious... maybe Cameron invented something else.

Occams Razor says your wrong.

[Trailraven]

I was thinking that it was in 3 months when they were scheduled to be there at Hometree, not that it takes them that long to travel there.

Even if took only a couple of days wouldn't seem possible to do unnoticed. Na'vi very attuned to their environment and the action of birds /animals would trigger a response to check. Assuming Na'vi flew Ikran on a daily (?) basis would visually be able to scan a wide area.

[Avery]

"Three months, thats when the dozers get their" was not to be literal (at least, I'm pretty sure) and it just meant that Jake had three months before Quaritch sent out the demo crew.

Or they were demolishing a path to the Home Tree that would take 3 months, either way. :P

Plus, knowing Quaritch, he would probably send military scouts first.