Watch: The Governator packs some heat in 'Expendables 2' teaser trailer

Credit: Lions Gate Films

Having grossed over three times its reported production budget worldwide, you just knew there was going to be a sequel to writer/director/star Sylvester Stallone's 2010 action film "The Expendables" - and now the first official teaser trailer for the Simon West-directed follow-up has hit the web.

Of course, this time around we have the pleasure (?) of seeing Arnold Schwarzenegger (who as California Governator was still too busy cozying up to corporate special interests to make more than a brief cameo appearance in the first film) in an expanded role, with our first glimpse of the "Junior" star in the teaser showing him exactly the way we like him - as a pregnant man. Err, shooting a big gun.

"Barney Ross. You made me a deal. I could've put you in the deepest, darkest hole, but I kept you around, because I knew that one day would come when you were gonna pay me back. Today's that day," intones Bruce Willis to Stallone at the very beginning of the spot, before the film's laundry list of '80s and '90s action-movie icons (Stallone, Schwarzenegger, Willis), second-tier '80s and '90s action-movie icons (Norris, Van Damme, Lundgren), Wikipedia-worthy head-scratchers (Terry Crews, Randy Couture), Jason Statham, and one hot young up-and-comer (Liam Hemsworth) flash across the screen in a barrage of tough-guy poses. 

Look, I'd be lying if I said the trailer wasn't effective - even after the middling-to-terrible first installment, the idea of putting all these guys in the same movie still possesses a sort of magnetic appeal - and while it doesn't give us much in the way of plot details, that's not really the goal of a teaser anyway. As such, I'm gonna go ahead and stamp an "A-" grade on this bad boy and call it a night.

After watching the full teaser below, rate it for yourself at top left!

"The Expendables 2" is slated for release on August 17, 2012.
 

Chris Eggertsen
Producer

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A former contributor to sites including Bloody-Disgusting and AfterElton, Eggertsen enjoys rock music, rainy days and smelling the pages of old books. You should read all of his articles and follow him on Twitter because it's the right thing to do.