I always find it amusing when a film like Charlie Ramos’ “The Metamorphosis,” at eight minutes, claims to be inspired by a novel, (in this case, one by Franz Kafka). Kinda makes you wonder what part has been adapted, the prologue? In any event, this impressively animated short recounts the ridiculous story of Gregor Samsa, who wakes up one morning to discover that he’s de-evolved into a large cockroach-type insect overnight. This rather astonishing event elicits a surprisingly mild response from his parents and a demanding boss who’s come to find out why Gregor never showed up for work. This is, according to the film’s title, only the first part of the story, so I’ll give director Ramos the benefit of the doubt and assume that the rest of the saga explains this relative disinterest. If not, then “The Metamorphosis” will simply be the latest in the long line of films with astonishing animation struggling to prop up a weak storyline.
