Mortal Kombat producer Todd Garner confirms that we haven't seen all of Mileena in the trailer. The upcoming film is based on the popular fighting game franchise of the same name that hit arcades in 1992. Players compete against each other or computer characters in one-on-one matches as part of the interdimensional Mortal Kombat fighting tournament. The series is best known for its outrageous violence, best exemplified by the brutal Fatalities or finishing moves that maim the opponent. Mortal Kombat shocked mothers across America at the time of its release, though the pixelated gore of those earlier entries is positively tame compared to the high-definition fare eleven mainline games later.
This adaptation is not the first attempt to bring the martial arts games to the big screen, serving as a reboot of the 1995 film of the same name and its sequel. A trailer released on February 18 and the creatives behind the film have confirmed the basic plot elements. Director Simon McQuoid says the iconic icy ninja Sub-Zero will be the main villain, luring neophyte Cole Young into the eponymous competition for his own mysterious ends. Along the way, Young will team up with and come up against heroes and villains from across the Mortal Kombat universe including Jax, Scorpion, and Goro.
Responding to a fan's negative reaction via Twitter, Garner teased more to see of Mileena, the assassin with an inhuman jaw. Sisi Stringer stars as Mileena and appears briefly in the trailer licking blood from her kunai after a brutal kill. She certainly has the cannibalistic tendencies of her video game inspiration, but fans were quick to point out that she's missing her iconic maw. Garner responded very vaguely but directly that we've not seen all of her. Check out the tweet below:
Mileena is one of the most recognizable Mortal Kombat fighters thanks to the very physical feature that is sorely missing in the trailer. In the lore of the games, Mileena is a half-Tarkatan clone who inherited her grotesque, many-fanged mouth from that warrior race. Fans will recall that one of Mileena's Fatalities way back in the first game saw her unhinging her jaw to consume her opponents and spit up their bones. In every game since, Mileena has kept her distinguishing feature, often hiding it under a silk mask to trick foes into coming near enough for her to get a taste.
To redesign Mileena without her maw for the film would be a great misstep, and Garner's quick response should reassure fans that he feels the same way. Regardless, it makes a poor first impression that calls to mind mistakes of video game movies past. From the pinheaded goombas in Super Mario Bros. to the hideous original design of Sonic the Hedgehog in the 2020 film, gamers have been burnt many times before. Detective Pikachu and Sonic the Hedgehog (after a much-needed redesign) have received uncommonly good reviews for video game adaptations. Here's hoping Mortal Kombat will continue to buck the trend.
Source: Todd Garner