It’s not unlikely that DreamWorks Animation will, in 2012, best Pixar at their own game. (Just as they did in 2011, bizarrely enough.) But that has more to do with my distaste for Brave than anything we’ve seen for Rise of the Guardians, a film whose initial previews have been… fine. Maybe it’s because the concept for this movie is a bit high, or perhaps it’s due to the fact that Guardians has a whole lot of protagonists — movies of that sort can be hard to properly “sell,” I find — yet I’m still a bit underwhelmed by everything on display.

That continues with the film’s newest trailer. Our basic idea — or, this aforementioned crazy concept — still seems kind of fun, but the execution (speaking in terms of animation and general dialogue) doesn’t seem up to snuff. Here’s hoping they’ve simply saved the best material for Guardians‘ final incarnation; if this is the best they’ve got, I’d be concerned.

Watch the trailer below (via Apple):

Synopsis: RISE OF THE GUARDIANS is an epic & magical adventure that tells the story of Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, the Sandman, and Jack Frost – legendary characters with previously unknown extraordinary abilities. When an evil spirit known as Pitch lays down the gauntlet to take over the world, the immortal Guardians must join forces to protect the hopes, beliefs and imagination of children everywhere.

With Chris Pine, Alec Baldwin, Isla Fisher, Hugh Jackman, and Jude Law providing voices and Peter Ramsey directing, Rise of the Guardians will open on November 21st.

Have you been sold on Rise of the Guardians, or do you need something better?