As is usually the case, the international trailer for an upcoming U.S. release (in this instance, McG’s This Means War) is superior to its domestic counterpart. A little more violence. A lot more sex. Basically, the same thrills with a tweak here and there. Check out the international trailer for This Means War below:



The film’s basically an explosive love triangle, with rival spies Chris Pine (Star Trek) and Tom Hardy (The Dark Knight Rises) surprised by the fact that they are dating the same bombshell (Reese Witherspoon). Instead of acting like mature adults, they wage war on each other, hoping to sabotage each other’s chances.

The closer we get to War, the more intrigued I’m becoming in its execution. I mean, the plotline meshes Alias with Three’s Company, but I’m past that. Now I’m genuinely curious to see how McG rebounds from Terminator: Salvation to handle two-dimensional characters with actual emotions while also juggling the butt-kicking action he attempted in back-to-back Charlie’s Angels movies.

And, of course, I’m continuously interested in Hardy, who appears to be making his most blatant bid for commercial success here after toiling away in gritty dramas (the vastly underrated Warrior and Bronson) and icy espionage thrillers (Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy). How many people will check out This Means War simply because Hardy’s part of Christopher Nolan’s Next Batman film? And honestly, does McG care? Or will he just be happy that crowds are turning up for his film? We’ll find out when This Means War opens on Feb. 17, 2012.