MovieChat Forums > District 9 (2009) Discussion > The Great Plot Holio *Possible Spoilers*

The Great Plot Holio Possible Spoilers

posted 11 years ago by the_la_baker
14 replies | jump to latest

Toward the beginning we see the father and son aliens collecting the last of the "fuel". The tiny drop they put in made the difference between having sufficient fuel to leave, or not. Then Wikus gets sprayed in the face with much more than that amount. How did they still have enough "fuel" in the canister? You could also assume the corporation took some out for testing as well, though that wasn't shown.

Was this addressed and I missed it, or maybe edited out but in the script?

[–] Neoblackdragon 11 years ago

It's likely they got as much as they could just in case or that's the amount they needed for a full chemical reaction. Like a super concentrated mixture activated a whole can full.

Point is, probably getting any of that was difficult.

[–] the_la_baker 11 years ago

It's likely they got as much as they could just in case or that's the amount they needed for a full chemical reaction. Like a super concentrated mixture activated a whole can full.

Interesting theory, makes sense. Or was that stated in the film? Are you just guessing, or did I miss something?

[–] 11 years ago

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[–] the_la_baker 11 years ago

They probably didn't have time to look at it.

What? Who, the writers?

We don't know how much was lost or how much was needed. It's a weak plot hole if at all.

That fuel is the entire plot. If they present it one way, then change it without explanation whatsoever, that is a plot hole. A massive one. It took them 20 years to get that fuel, and then they lost quite a bit. I guess he wasted several years gathering fuel he didn't need??

Either the prawns are retards, the writers got a bit lazy, or it was edited out.

[–] 11 years ago

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[–] tuula-1 10 years ago

We could speculate they leave with too little fuel out of desperation, hoping to get at least away and perhaps somewhere where they can contact other aliens. They don't take all the other aliens with them either, which may have been the plan to start with.

Then again, it is never explained, so it is a plot hole. It's rare for movies to be made with no plot holes, and it seems to be getting more and more common to just gobble together some nonsense and call it a script, so I can live with this one.

[–] 10 years ago

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[–] the_la_baker 10 years ago

Not explained isn't a plot hole. A plot hole to me is a contradiction in story line where you have a clear conflict. Otherwise "the thing" would have more plot holes than any other movie, and it was done perfectly to give just not enough info.

How is that not a clear conflict?! The scenario was set up, they needed the last drop of whatever that was to have enough fuel to escape. Then they lose a lot of the precious and extremely rare fuel when he sprays himself, then they lose the entire canister and that is the whole plot, getting that canister back....

Anyone that doesn't consider that a plot hole is in denial or not paying attention. My friend LOVES this film, but admits it makes no sense and it should have been explained. I feel like it was edited out for pacing. At least, that's my theory.

[–] julesaz 10 years ago

After Wikus and Christopher come back from getting the fuel canister, Christopher mentions that he will need every drop to get back to the mothership and won't be able to turn Wikus into a human (before three years have passed). Part of it is that he's seen what happens in Bio Lab and must fight it, but I got the impression that it also would have taken additional fuel to take Wikus along.

[–] lmatteyl 10 years ago

The amount of fuel needed varies by usage. Their original plan was to fly the command module back up to the mothership and then use the remaining amount to fix Wikus, but since it got shot down right after taking off they didn't really use any flying the command module. The amount they had left still could have fixed Wikus, but was also necessary for Christopher to make the mothership "go fast". Without using the fuel toward increased speed Christopher wouldn't have been able to get back fast enough to save his people (by his calculations), so Wikus has to wait the 3 years until he returns with enough fuel to fix Wikus and save his people (Revenge on humans? Taking his people home? I'd love to see a sequel finish the story out).

I also think that the amount that set their plans in motion is, as other have surmised, the amount required to achieve a chemical reaction and give the fuel the necessary potency. Even if some spills out afterwards it's still of sufficient potency to be effective, you'd just have less of it to use

[–] ehaas-3 10 years ago

(Revenge on humans? Taking his people home? I'd love to see a sequel finish the story out).

I wish Christopher had done something threatening to scare the humans into treating the aliens at least a little better. I was surprised they really went through with forcing the out of District 9 into that place that looked like an actual prison.

It would have made sense if the humans had thought "OK, we still don't like them, but if that ship gets the one guy back home, more will probably show up. If they find their people too miserable, they might want revenge. So let's leave them where they are and throw in some running water, electricity, and more food (especially cat food!).

[–] aalmbarak-219-786849 10 years ago

They didn't use the ship to try and travel across the galaxy, it was used to get to the mother ship, which was maybe a mile above the surface. Once the ship was airborne, it was shot down, but then used to communicate with the mother ship to activate its tractor beams to bring it back.
Its like when a car runs out of gas, but you have a gas can. It won't help you get to where you're going, but it will be enough to get you to the next gas station.

[–] TheManInOil 10 years ago

You're right, but I try to excuse it by supposing that some of it was needed for something they now have to do without.

[–] mimosveta 10 years ago

I thought they didn't have any, and very little was enough. What they had found was enough to go around.

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