Man-eating plants are really cool, but you really don’t see them a lot in fiction these days. Sure, your average Scrimblo Bimblo is probably going to have to jump over a few of them in his game, but you never really see one take charge and be the big bad.
Well that’s cuz none of those other plants have half the guts Audrey II does.
An alien plant that zapped down to Earth during an eclipse, it ingratiates itself with the weak-willed Seymour, manipulating him into feeding it human flesh and blood so it can become bigger and stronger in its quest to spread across the world. And it does it all with great style, a killer smile, and one badass villain song.
Motivation/Goals: Audrey II’s got one goal in mind, and that is global domination. To this end, it dupes Seymour into feeding it and giving it the power to grow and expand. It’s kind of your typical evil alien plotline, combined with a “be careful what you wish for angle.” Seymour is getting fame and fortune at the cost of his soul and his peace of mind, and the plant bringing him this good fortune is duping him.
Performance: Levi Stubb’s of The Four Tops played Audrey II in one of his only two voice roles, the other being Captain N’s version of Mother Brain. Stubb realized that he was simply too powerful and had to give other people a chance to voice act, so he dipped and went back to being a hugely iconic Motown singer for the rest of his life after these two roles. Boy, does the man kill it as Audrey II though! But we can’t give all the credit to Stubb for bringing Audrey II to life, though his voice is the big selling point; props must also be given to the dozens of puppeteers who worked tirelessly to make this massive plant puppet feel as alive as it does. All of it just comes together perfectly.
Final Fate: It really depends on what version you’re watching. If you’re watching the theatrical version, Seymour manages to get the upper hand on the Mean Green Mother from Outer Space and manages to blow it up with an extremely corny stock explosion effect… or does he? Despite the seemingly happy ending, there’s another Audrey II in Seymour and Audrey’s yard. Dun dun dun!
In the Director’s Cut, though, Audrey II’s big song ends a little differently, namely in that Seymour fails and is eaten, which lets Audrey II’s plan go on completely unimpeded. Cue one of the most impressive feats of special effects and puppet work you will ever see as Audrey II and its numerous duplicates go on a kaiju rampage through New York. The movie ends with the fate of the world up in the air, and even the fourth wall isn’t gonna protect you because Audrey II bursts out of the screen.
Best Scene: “Mean Green Mother from Outer Space” is hands down Audrey II’s finest moment, simply because it is an awesome villain song sung by an alien plant voiced by a legendary Motown singer.
Of course, if we’re considering the Director’s Cut here, the extended kaiju rampage is just breathtaking with how impressive it is.
Best Quote: Say it with me now: “FEED ME.”
Final Thoughts & Score: Man-eating plants are seldom the big bad in fiction, and it’s a real shame when the original Audrey II, Audrey Jr., is one of the most influential man-eating plants in all of media (it inspired the Piranha Plants in Mario for crying out loud!). But I guess there’s a good reason for that: When there’s already Audrey II, where else can you go but down?
This villainous Venus Flytrap from the cosmos is just a glorious slice of B-movie fun. It has an amazing design coupled with fantastic puppet work and voice acting, it has a simple yet effective motivation and goal, and it has an awesome villain song. What more do you even need from a villain? Audrey II is just a clear and obvious 10/10, hands down, no question.
A big part of why Audrey II is so great is just the sheer audacity of it. This is a big, goofy plant monster who says shit like “Tough titty” and sings a toe-tapping villain song, and yet at the end of the day it is just so thoroughly wicked, evil, and manipulative. It’s such a charismatic creature that manages to be both genuinely, terrifyingly evil and awesomely fun and memorable. When it comes to horticultural horrors, there’s simply no comparison (Save maybe for Biollante, but she’s not really evil).
