Quaritch fans

[joeylovesgaia]

The fact that so many rooted for Quaritch (and more are likely to root for him in the special ed.) is disturbing. Apparently Cameron failed to truly show the horror of being invaded. If the Na'vi were human size, he and his men could be shown molesting the native women; if there were less mining tech, the Company could be shown using the Na'vi as slaves. This is the true history of colonization, and if the RDA jerks were shown doing it, all sympathy for them would go out the window...I hope.

[SaphirJD]

Well i do not like what he does but Quaritch simply is badass - at least its to honor that he does not give up - better that as being a coward

[Woodsprite]

Oh I never root for Quaritch while watching Avatar. Never. Cameron did a fine job with his villain-ry.

...However, I can't help but liking Quaritch when I'm not watching Avatar, just because the overall idea of his character is intriguing, and he looks cool. He's also, as Saphir put him, badass. So the concept of Quaritch is fun to think about. His actions on-screen are fun to root against.

[SaphirJD]

this guy simply knows how to kick butts with maximum effect, and often villains are just some pathetic losers in the end, at least quarich had even style going out of business

And since being a villain too i really love Quaritch's Style

[Woodsprite]

Quaritch's death was one of the most satisfying villain deaths I've ever seen on screen.

[neytirifanboy]

Originally Posted by Woodsprite

Quaritch's death was one of the most satisfying villain deaths I've ever seen on screen.

Yes, I agree. For sci-fi the last fight was actually quite down to Earth and believable. Also I was glad there was no "It ain't over yet" scene where the we all think the villan is dead but he comes back.

It was nice and straight forward.

[neytirifanboy]

This should probably be in the character section.

In some ways, the fact that some people are rooting for Quaritch shows how great Avatar is. There are not many movies where people can root for either side.

It also reflects how people can think in these situations in the current word reality.

Of course, I never rooted for Quaritch, although I did sympathise with your run-of-the-mill RDA guy.

I for one never supported Quaritch, So i agree with Woodsprite that JC did a good job of showing Quaritch as the villain without showing scenes of slavery or torture (and we have no evidence such a thing was happening anyway).

I think Avatar is in general an upbeat movie. I am not sure darker images would have made it better. the destruction of Home tree was dark enough.

But the reason I love Quaritch is becuase he is the Cliche- King. And I mean that in the most positive way possible. Perhaps someone photo-shop a picture of Quaritch being the cliche-King.

Pretty please.

[SaphirJD]

Haha.. yeah.. some uper Epic Fanart

[Ashen Key]

Originally Posted by joeylovesgaia

The fact that so many rooted for Quaritch (and more are likely to root for him in the special ed.) is disturbing. Apparently Cameron failed to truly show the horror of being invaded. If the Na'vi were human size, he and his men could be shown molesting the native women; if there were less mining tech, the Company could be shown using the Na'vi as slaves. This is the true history of colonization, and if the RDA jerks were shown doing it, all sympathy for them would go out the window...I hope.

There are a number of reasons to cheer for Quaritch.

A) He's effortlessly badass. He's on fire AND IGNORES IT. *goes to TV Tropes* Ah, yes. Colonel Badass

The one atop this page, Colonel Miles Quaritch of Avatar. He's the villain, but that doesn't stop him from modding his AMP suit with a gigantic combat knife, or running out into Pandora's toxic atmosphere, guns blazing, without bothering to put a gas mask on. In one instance, it takes him about 11 seconds to react to the fact that he is, in fact, on fire. Quaritch is in fact, so Bad Ass he inspires major Rooting For The Empire, especially compared to the Elf-ier than thou wonderfulness of the Na'vi.

B) Not only is he badass, but he's also trying to do his job and keep his men alive in an incredibly hostile environment. He doesn't, can't succeed - of course that's going to inspire sympathy.

C) And, to quote the ever-wonderful TV Tropes again, on the page "Scr*w You, Elves":

This is quite possibly the reason behind much of the appeal of Colonel Miles Quaritch from Avatar. Yes, he is technically the bad guy, and yes, he is kind of an *sshole; writing off an entire sapient species as beneath notice and making increasingly ruthless attempts to crush them will do that. But after having to sit through an entire 2.5 hours of James Cameron preaching about how the Na'vi are *so* superior to us humans, it was a little too easy for many viewers to enjoy seeing Quaritch open up a sizable can of whoop-ass on the heroes.

I think he provides an interesting counter to Grace - she only really cares about the Na'vi to the point of scorning and dismissing and actively insulting the humans (and, lets not forget it, it IS the job of the RDA Marines to protect Grace - they are paid to be willing to die for her should the need arise, which makes her scorn all the worse). Quaritch, in contrast, only really cares about his Marines, to the point of being perfectly willing to commit genocide in both in retaliation and in a hopefully pre-emptive attack that, in the long term, would keep his people alive and the operation running.

So, no. I don't find it disturbing at all. In all honesty, what's a large blockbuster without an enjoyable villain?

[neytirifanboy]

Originally Posted by Ashen Key

Quaritch, in contrast, only really cares about his Marines, to the point of being perfectly willing to commit genocide in both in retaliation and in a hopefully pre-emptive attack that, in the long term, would keep his people alive and the operation running.

That is generally my view too. His pre-emptive raid was meant to at least partly prevent an imminent and overwhelming attack.

In saying that, he does have a panache for big explosions and over-reaction.

During the attack on home tree, after launching cannon-ball like gass canisters at the Na'vi, the Na'vi respond with some archery. Despite the fact that the arrows were causing no material damage, Quaritch decides to escalate the action by giving a further warning shot with....er...incendiaries which they fire right into the middle of the na'vi.

what I fing interesting is that they did not even bother using a mircophone asking the na'vi to move or surrender. I am sure he could have played a tape in Na'vi telling them to move. Surely before ordering a full incendiary attackn there were other options:
1) Avatars (i.e Jake and Grace)
2) Microphones warning
3) Warning shots.
4) Gas
5) Limited demonstration of incendiaries away from the Na'vi

But no, Quaritch goes from point 1 to point 4 then directly to point 10. As I say, he loves explosions and is a master of over-reaction.

[Ashen Key]

Originally Posted by neytirifanboy

That is generally my view too. His pre-emptive raid was meant to at least partly prevent an imminent and overwhelming attack.

In saying that, he does have a panache for big explosions and over-reaction.

During the attack on home tree, after launching cannon-ball like gass canisters at the Na'vi, the Na'vi respond with some archery. Despite the fact that the arrows were causing no material damage, Quaritch decides to escalate the action by giving a further warning shot with....er...incendiaries which they fire right into the middle of the na'vi.

what I fing interesting is that they did not even bother using a mircophone asking the na'vi to move or surrender. I am sure he could have played a tape in Na'vi telling them to move. Surely before ordering a full incendiary attackn there were other options:
1) Avatars (i.e Jake and Grace)
2) Microphones warning
3) Warning shots.
4) Gas
5) Limited demonstration of incendiaries away from the Na'vi

But no, Quaritch goes from point 1 to point 4 then directly to point 10. As I say, he loves explosions and is a master of over-reaction.

I think his patience had gotten REALLY used up.

And the surrender was what Jake and Grace were supposed to try and do. That was Jake's job for the past three months, pretty much. And he did use gas - although, yes, he didn't give them that much time to flee first. I basically think Quaritch just reached a snapping point.

Which, I hasten to add, does NOT let him off the hook at all, but it explains his behaviour. It's one of the things I play with when RPing Trudy my game - we (because there is a Quaritch as well, and they are both three years pre-canon) kill people. Kill Marines. Just to tighten the pressure and build up to canon. It's a fun exercise in motivation.

[neytirifanboy]

Originally Posted by Ashen Key

I think his patience had gotten REALLY used up.

Perhaps. But I tend to think it is more to do with the fact that Quaritch is a warrior and not a dimplomat. He wants to fight. That's who he is and that's what he does.

I am not even sure he even cares much about the Na'vi either positively or negatively. He just wants to fight and they are then enemy of the time. It is possible he would just as happily use them as allies against another enemy.

I tend to think of Quaritch as the wrong man in the wrong job at the wrong time.

When you think about it, the title of Chief of Security does not suggest a position which involves leading raids against the natives.

In saying that we don't know why he was recruited or who recruited him. Perhaps those who recruited him wanted an aggressive military leader who would take active action against the natives.

At the very least they probably wanted someone who would take (probably limited) punitive action against natives where required. The question is whether Quartich is trying to fulfill his own destiny (which is what I believe) or is he just following orders.

It just shows how different observations come to mind as think about it.

[Human No More]

Originally Posted by neytirifanboy

That is generally my view too. His pre-emptive raid was meant to at least partly prevent an imminent and overwhelming attack.

In saying that, he does have a panache for big explosions and over-reaction.

During the attack on home tree, after launching cannon-ball like gass canisters at the Na'vi, the Na'vi respond with some archery. Despite the fact that the arrows were causing no material damage, Quaritch decides to escalate the action by giving a further warning shot with....er...incendiaries which they fire right into the middle of the na'vi.

what I fing interesting is that they did not even bother using a mircophone asking the na'vi to move or surrender. I am sure he could have played a tape in Na'vi telling them to move. Surely before ordering a full incendiary attackn there were other options:
1) Avatars (i.e Jake and Grace)
2) Microphones warning
3) Warning shots.
4) Gas
5) Limited demonstration of incendiaries away from the Na'vi

But no, Quaritch goes from point 1 to point 4 then directly to point 10. As I say, he loves explosions and is a master of over-reaction.

Or, more likely, because he's stupid.

He didn't even do his job. Remember 'my job is to keep you alive'?
His attack was clearly not meant to be any kind of defensive move, because he would have done it anyway, he just did it as son as he could because the Na'vi were about to come to Hell's gate and kill him.

There really is no reason to like him, at all.

[Ashen Key]

Originally Posted by Human No More

Or, more likely, because he's stupid.

He didn't even do his job. Remember 'my job is to keep you alive'?

Yep, and THEN he says, "I will not succeed." He can't, because Pandora is that hostile to the humans. He'll lose choppers to the Banshees and Toruks, and there isn't anything he can do about it.

Originally Posted by Human No More

His attack was clearly not meant to be any kind of defensive move, because he would have done it anyway, he just did it as son as he could because the Na'vi were about to come to Hell's gate and kill him.

That, um, would be the reason why the move is defensive. The best defence is to attack. Particularly in those circumstances.

Originally Posted by Human No More

There really is no reason to like him, at all.

Of course there is, I just listed them. You are welcome to disagree, naturally, but I personally think there are perfectly valid reasons for liking him.

[neytirifanboy]

Originally Posted by Human No More

Or, more likely, because he's stupid.

I don't believe he is stupid. In fact I think Quaritch is quite a complex character hidden under a cliched shell.

In fact there are aspects of Quaritch that remind me of JR Ewing of the Dallas series as he was arrogantt, cruel and opportunistic.

it is difficult to call him stupid when his tactic almost paid off. Only the intervention of Eywa (which even the Na'vi wouldn't have forseen) resulted in the RDA defeat.

Of course, whether his plan would have paid of on a strategic level, both military and political, is a different matter.