Seven years after killing Troy's dad, Satoris and his goons break into Troy's house just ONE DAY after he finally finds the map. Also, exactly why does Satoris want the map? If it's to find the idol, he eventually finds it by himself without using the map at all. If it's to keep other people from using the map, well, near the end of the movie he conducts a little ritual that causes the map to burst into flame, so why even try to steal it the old-fashioned way?
Also, Pipper at first disputes the very idea of an idol. "I know what you're thinkin'; me and Thomas searched and found nothin'." Why couldn't they find it, but Satoris can? Also, the very next morning after dismissing the idol's existence, when he and Rowsdower discover Troy has been kidnapped to be sacrificed to the idol, Pipper is able to give Rowsdower perfect directions to the idol.
Two theories on that - Either bad writing or Piper was initially lying to discourage Zap & Troy. Once Troy was kidnapped, Pipper had no choice but to tell the truth so Zap can rescue Troy.
Pipper got a look at the map after he drew the symbol on it to solve the riddle Troy's dad left. Presumably that gave directions to the idol, so he knew where Satoris would be taking Troy, even if he didn't believe in the idol itself.
They break in in broad daylight, and yet none of the unseen neighbors in the crowded neighborhood seem to notice the hooded men with machetes and chainsaws.
Well, it was the middle of the day. Maybe most of Troy's neighbors were at work when this happened? Or if anyone was home and did see or hear the cult attacking the house, maybe they didn't think they could successfully pull off a Big Damn Heroes against a large, armed, organized group. We only follow Troy as he flees the neighborhood. Maybe his neighbors were all calling the police and Troy just escaped the area before the cops could show up?
And isn't it a lucky coincidence that Troy, in escaping from the cult, happened to jump into the truck of an ex-member.
Because Eagle Hat is a crowded metropolis?
Zap was a drifter who was passing through the town.
Troy saw the map after Pipper added the symbol that revealed the location of the idol. Satoris might have kidnapped Troy to get him to lead the way to the idol (it happens off screen, so we'll never know), and destroyed the map so that Rowsdower and Pipper couldn't follow. But Pipper remembered what he had seen well enough to give Rowsdower directions.
Why would Troy get upset about Rowsdower calling the police?! Hell, you would think that once he was in the back of the truck and far enough away from the cultists, Troy would have gotten Rowsdower's attention, explained that some psychos had broken into his home and chased him with machetes, and asked him to take him to the police in the first place so that he could file a report and make sure his aunt knew he was okay. Yes, I know Troy is determined to figure out the map and learn how his father died, but there's no reason he couldn't have gone exploring the woods after the police have nabbed the crazy cult that's after him.
Why are the pure-blooded descendants of an ancient North American civilization all obviously European?
Remember the huge hill Satoris' Mooks chase Rowsdower up? The one the climactic final battle took place on? Satoris probably used the hook to Batman up the ledge with Troy in tow, and took the rifle as a precaution against Rowsdower or Pipper mounting an assault. Either Rowsdower cut him off from the rifle during their one-on-one duel, or (more likely, since Satoris is a dumbass) he ended up holding the Idiot Ball and neglected the rifle in favor of his torch.
Troy's aunt has already lost her brother in suspicious circumstances, then she comes home after work to find the door chainsawed open, the house ransacked, and her young nephew missing. It's possible that while Troy was off adventuring with Rowsdower, his aunt was calling the police and frantically searching everywhere for him.
Oh, and if any of the neighbors heard or saw any of the commotion when the cult attacked the house, then Troy's aunt is going to get the oh-so-comforting report about how Troy was chased down the street by masked thugs waving machetes at him. The poor woman probably spent the two days Troy was gone out of her mind with fear.
And what becomes of Troy after he returns home? Auntie isn't going to believe that Troy spent two days fighting a cult leader with dreams of dominating the world with a floating city and an army of the undead, especially since the only possible corroboration would be coming from a drunken slob and a crazy-sounding grizzled prospector. It's far more likely that she'd have them both arrested, and either send Troy to a camp for troubled teens, or ground him until he finally hits puberty.
