I think what it matters is that it's not random - it's a choice rooted in culture and character that doesn't detract from, contradict, or alter the source material. What's more there's no evidence they're relying on facepaint for "shock value" rather than Ben Kingsley - in fact, if there's any actor in the world I'm…

Which, I think, nicely synthesizes what everyone but OSC takes away from the book.

I imagine they're intended to be recognizable as fighter jets because they're atmospheric fighter aircraft - I don't think "rational thinking" would suggest that our space travel capabilities would render our airforce irrelevant. Granted, if they ARE F-35's, that's problematic.

Just wait until he murders a few kids to show them who's boss.

Agreed. I really love that they're taking every opportunity to make it look and feel international.

What indicates to you that we don't have space capabilities AND atmospheric jet fighters?

As a POC and a big fan of Ender's Game since elementary school, this shot made my heart swell, particularly in the wake of reports that Cumberbatch is playing Khan. Thank you, Ender's Game.

Mazer Rackham is half Maori. I think they thought it would be cool to lean into that.

I made a similar comment - even in the novels the buggers used metal and built recognizable spaceships.

I don't think he means "aerodynamic" when he says organic. I think he means "the ships look like squids."

I wish the ships didn't look organic. It's such a cliché.

I don't think so. That Ender, in the simulator, orders a planet's destruction isn't the major plot twist.

I mean, sort of. That's not really the clincher.

To be fair, that's not the spoiler, though.

Really?

Right. So it has a pass.

Well sure, and the penis is a pixelized representation of limestone representation of a penis. But in-game, it's a statue, and in-game it's a character's sexualized buttocks.

It's a piece of art in-game, not a character's body. To invoke Magritte, it's not a penis, it's a piece of limestone.

It's not contradicting anything, but I think they wanted to take full advantage of Mazer Rackham's Maori identity to make the world look fleshed out and diverse.

Could have still cast a Maori actor, though.

Lysine?