MovieChat Forums > E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) Discussion > Could E.T actually fly? Or just move ina...

Could E.T actually fly? Or just move inanimate objects?

posted 9 years ago by SlickySlixta
9 replies | jump to latest

I was reading through one of those so called "biggest plot holes of all time" articles the other day and came across one that posed the question "Why didn't E.T. just fly to the ship when it took off at the beginning?"

It never even crossed my mind in the first place, but we never really find out out if E.T. can actually fly or not. He can make stuff levitate, but it's never explicitly stated that he could fly in the film.

Thoughts anyone?

EDIT: This is the article I referenced from.

http://www.denofgeek.com/movies/plot-holes/26881/50-movie-plot-holes-and-paradoxes

Don't put the devil in the picture, cause' the religious groups won't wanna see it.

[–] virgiltx 9 years ago

If he flew to the ship he'd be outside it, an easy target. Or before it took off, he'd need to fly over the bushes,, still an easy target, and he'd be giving away of the others' position, before they could close the door and fly away.

It looked to me like he was just levitating the bikes.

____________________
The story is king.

[–] HellboundHero 9 years ago

I don't think he would have caught up with the ship and he probably can't fly in space either.

[–] !!!deleted!!! (9347176) 9 years ago

I'm pretty sure he could manipulate matter and certainly gravity to a certain extent. He demonstrated the ability to make simple, inanimate or inorganic objects float to help visualize his home planetary system to the kids and to allow Elliott and his friends to escape from law enforcement on their bikes. He was also able to heal himself, Elliott and Gertie's flower, presumably also through the manipulation of matter at the atomic or at least the molecular level. Aside from that, E.T. could not fly, nor could he influence other living beings to do so. Ergo, no plot hole.

-Rod

[–] HellboundHero 9 years ago

I don't know if he could fly on his own, but levitating the bike that's carrying him seems at least like an indirect form of flying. I don't know what the rules of telekinesis are, but you don't often see telekinetics soaring around like Superman or Peter Pan.

[–] Jeorj Euler 9 years ago

I don't know what the rules of telekinesis are, but you don't often see telekinetics soaring around like Superman or Peter Pan.

Right.

[–] shadaif 9 years ago

He used his Jedi mind powers to make the bikes fly.

"The end of the shoelace is called the...IT DOESN'T MATTER!"

[–] luchod-819-75242 8 years ago

Exactly, Jedi can move objects but they cant fly on their own (at least human Jedi cant)

[–] Jeorj Euler 8 years ago

Maybe he is more limited outside the presence of children.

[–] TheManInOil 8 years ago

We only see him move inanimate objects. Also as someone pointed out this isn't about plot, it's about theme. Like Tinkerbell, ET draws his life from the love and belief of children.