In the Mortal Kombat video games and 2021 movie, Mileena's abilities are deeply rooted in her monstrous DNA. Simon McQuoid's Mortal Kombat movie follows the new fighter Cole Young, who teams up with a range of iconic MK characters such as Sonya Blade, Kano, Liu Kang, Kung Lao and the thunder god Raiden to defeat Shang Tsung and stop his invasion of Earthrealm. Other characters such as Reptile and Mileena only have a minor role, although they have long and interesting stories in the video games.
The 2021 Mortal Kombat movie depicts Mileena as one of Shang Tsung's minions but doesn't delve further into her true motivations or the reason why she possesses a mouth full of sharp teeth. She also has a surprisingly quick death at the hands of Sonya Blade after a brief fight with Cole. However, it's safe to say that she might have the same origin as her video game counterpart with the same move set but less time to put it on display.
As a clone of the Edenian Princess Kitana, Mileena has a natural talent for combat, as well as enhanced physiology and amplified strength, agility, and durability. She's also skilled with her trademark sai, which are the equivalent to Kitana's famous bladed fans. Mileena is half Tarkatan, which makes her naturally feral and accounts for her terrifying smile. Whereas the video game Mileena uses a mask to conceal her deformed face and strategically shock her enemies, the movie version initially dons a more subdued mouth, which she unhinges to reveal her full set of grotesque fangs. The movie also changes Mileena's signature suit and ability color, magenta, to a dark blue.
Since Mileena is half Edenian, her ability to teleport might come naturally to her. Edenian characters like Jade, Sindel, and Kitana also have similar powers. To channel them, Mileena uses her sai. However, the 2021 movie doesn't show much correlation between her weapons and her magical abilities, but it does depict her tendency to launch herself at her opponents to bite them. Sisi Stringer's Mileena isn't nearly as animalistic as her video game counterpart, who wouldn't think twice about dismembering her enemies or even decapitating them if need be. But she does have the ability to read blood by only tasting it, which isn't a thing she often does in the games.
Mortal Kombat X and Mortal Kombat 11 have further expanded Mileena's powers. Her Ethereal variation makes her much more unpredictable and allows her to teleport wherever she throws her sai. She can also summon daggers out of thin air and become invisible. The 2021 Mortal Kombat movie only touched upon a thin slice of Mortal Kombat lore, and its limited screentime doesn't let it explore the backstories and abilities of many of its characters. Hopefully, future Mortal Kombat sequels will further develop characters like Mileena.