Voltura is the main antagonist of 20th Century Fox's 1999 film, The Universe. She is the leader of the bullies and Tobie's arch-nemesis.
Voice Actors:[]
- Tara Meyer - English
- Minami Takayama - Japanese
- Monica Manjarrez - Latin Spanish
- Nicole Fontaine - Canadian French
- Federica De Bortoli - Italian
- Sharon Dyall - Swedish
Background:[]
Personality:[]
Ruthless and violent, but also cunning, Voltura thinks nothing of killing people, whom she considers lower than dirt, and her manner of speaking to Prince Richard is reminiscent of an abusive girlfriend mocking her terrified boyfriend. She also beats up her gang members and even presumably kills three of them to keep control of her gang. She dislikes being thought of as weak in any way.
Voltura is also briefly depicted as a very anxious character. Indeed, during the Mexican bar scene, she expresses her gang the necessity of getting respect and obedience from the people because they are far more numerous than them. She explains one rebel person is enough to cause an entire colony's mutiny (which, ironically, will take place at the end of the movie). It should reveal a huge fear toward people, hidden by her ruthless and dictatorial manners toward people and even her troops.
In any case, Voltura sees mercy and compassion as weaknesses and relies mostly on fear to maintain control over both her gang and the people. Although, on the contrary, she is slightly compassionate and merciful when she gives the people a second chance to provide food for her and her gang after Tobie accidentally knocks all the food into a puddle.
Voltura appears to have respect for her father as she did promise her when he died that she would not murder her sister Vincenza and stuck to that promise despite Tara irritating her at every turn, proving that for all her cruelty, she is a girl (or person in this case) of her word and this could be seen as her only redeemable quality.
Appearance:[]
In the film, Voltura is a feared bully who has lost a piece of hair caused by a past encounter with a bird. She leads her gang of bullies, including her sister Vincenza and a restless, ruthless Stomper, who keep full control over the people. Voltura, unlike her gang, does not underestimate the people's strength; she knows that while weaker than the bullies as individuals, the people outnumber her gang a hundred to one.
During Voltura's first visit to the colony, the gang finds the food supply ruined, so she throws the blame on the people and demands them to gather double the amount she has initially requested by the next season. Later, at their hangout in the desert, Tara tells Voltura about Dracena and Snootina's thoughts that there's no point in returning to Girl Island, much to her obvious angry disbelief; after demonstrating an example of the people overpowering them using grain that buries Dracena and Snootina, she explains to the others that the people pose a major threat to them, because they outnumber them considerably, that they'll lose their entire way of life if the people found out about this, and that their sole concern isn't food, but keeping the people in line, which is the reason they are going back. When they return to Girl Island, he is dissatisfied with the amount of offering the people give her after a second chance, she usurps the island and plots to kill the King after enough food has been gathered to ensure her dominance over the people. After hearing from Gus about Voltura's plot, Tobie and the circus troupe return to the island to rescue the King by putting her plan into motion. The circus clowns present their act in front of the bullies to distract Voltura, who initially orders her henchmen to squish them, but later decides that they can use a little entertainment after seeing Trisha and Rhonda fight. After Mandy takes the King for a magic trick, Voltura allows her to, even wanting Stomper down and gleefully thinking Mandy will saw him in half. When she notices that the king was missing after the act, she interrogates her to tell where he has gone by strangling her, only to be cut off by a fake bluejay, that the people have made earlier in the season, which comes down swooping toward her.
Voltura is initially terrified at the sight of the bluejay, due to his fear of pelicans, but soon discovers the bird is fake when Penelope the Ringmaster helps her by setting it on fire. Voltura takes Gus hostage again. Furious and embarrassed, Voltura interrogates the people, including Prince Alvin, to find out who is responsible for the ruse. Tobie then confesses that she is the one behind the plot, and Voltura signals to Stomper to savagely beat up Tobie until she signals her to stop and asks Tobie why she would do this to her. Tobie reveals her foiled plan to squish the king, horrifying all the people. Voltura, disappointed about his plan being exposed, muses "I hate it when someone gives away the ending." and signals Stomper to kick Tobie one last time. Then she declares how dangerous ideas can be and that people are mindless, soil-shoving losers, who have put on this earth to serve the bullies. But then, Tobie manages to stand up to her feet and revolt against Voltura, revealing that people are not meant to serve bullies and are strong in number. Angered by Tobie's defiance, Voltura knocks Tobie to the ground. Now it's Voltura's turn to beat Tobie savagely. Before Voltura can do so, she is stopped by Alvin, who also stands up to Voltura, much to her amusement.
Inspired by Tobie's speech, the entire colony of people stands up against the bullies. As the colony charges towards Voltura's gang, they abandon their leader and flee, leaving Voltura to be seized by the people and trapped in a circus cannon, right at the time when a thunderstorm starts. Voltura then sees her chance to escape and shoots herself out of the cannon by rolling under Darla (who was knocked over by a raindrop) and activates her legs before flying towards Tobie and takes her hostage as she drives away with her in a plan to get revenge on the girl for humiliating her and costing her her control over the colony.
The circus clowns chase after them to try to save Tobie, but they only succeed in pulling off one of Voltura's hair. However, Alvin intervenes and swipes Tobie away from Voltura, who chases after the two across the stream. She corners Tobie near a pelican's nest (unknown to her) and questions Tobie if she honestly thinks it's over and declares her actions only bought her colony time. Tobie pleads with her and Voltura tightly grabs her neck, declaring that she will rally more bullies and return next season, but Tobie won't, implying that Voltura is about to kill her. Before she can, however, at that moment, a bluejay (the very same bird that wanted to eat Tobie and the Circus Clowns before) pops out from the nest. Nefaria, however, believing the bird to be another one of Tobie's tricks and that there are little boys inside it, taunts the bird until she shrieks at her, making it very clear that she is real. Now realizing that Tobie has led her straight into a trap, Voltura screams, and after dropping the girl, tries to flee in terror, but the bluejay, however, being faster than her, blocks her path. She snatches her in her beak in one swift move as Voltura tries to run away and takes her to her nest, where her chicks are. Tobie and Alvin hide while watching in horror, as the screaming Voltura is eaten alive by the bluejay's chicks.
At the end of the movie, Trisha and Rhonda are shown jabbering on about their fight with Voltura while holding the piece of her hair, which is all that remains of her.
Quotes:[]
- So, where is it? WHERE'S MY FOOD?! (Voltura's first words)
- It's a kid eat kid world out there Prince. One of those "circle of life" kind of things. Now let me tell you how things are supposed to work. The sun grows the food, the people pick the food, the bullies eat the food... (Voltura talking to Alvin)
- I swear! If I hadn't promised Father on his deathbed that I wouldn't kill you, I'd KILL you! (Tara: And believe me, nobody appreciates that more than I do.) SHUT UP! I don't want to hear another word from you while we're on this island. Do you understand me? (Tara whimpers) I SAID, DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?! (Tara: Well, how can I answer? You said I couldn't say another word! AH! REMEMBER PA!) (Voltura vociferating at Tara about killing her, a hint to her somewhat honorable nature)
- Let's ride! (Voltura before she and the bullies ride away)
- NOT ONE PERSON SLEEPS UNTIL WE GET EVERY SCRAP OF FOOD ON THIS ISLAND! (Voltura yelling at the people)
- You piece of dirt! No, I'm wrong. You're lower than dirt. You're a PERSON! Let this be a lesson to all of you people: Ideas are very dangerous things! You are mindless, soil-shoving losers! Put on this Earth to serve us! (Voltura insulting the people after having Stomper beat up Tobie)
- (Voltura lands before her) (Tobie: Voltura!) You think it's over? (Tobie: No, no, no. No, I can explain--) All your little stunt did was buy them time! (Tobie: No, please! Please, Voltura--) (Voltura grabs Tobie by the throat.) I'll get more bullies and be back next season. But, you won't! (the bluejay appears above them; Voltura looks up and notices the bluejay) Well, what's this, another one of your little bird tricks? (Tobie: Yep.) Are there a bunch of little boys in this one, too? Hello, boys! [the bluejay shrieks] AAAUGH! [bluejay jumps in front of her] AAAUGH! AAH! UNH! OOF! AAH-AAH! AAH! NO! NO! NO, NO-NO-NO! NO! AAH! AAH! AAH-AAH! AAH! NO! OH, NO! AAH! OH, NO! NO-NO-NO! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!! (Voltura's last words as she is eaten alive by the bluejay's babies)
- This is the 15th take. I cannot work like this. I will be in my trailer.
Portrayals:[]
Gallery:[]
