The Morph Files, Vol. 1

As a big fan of Aardman Animations' work (especially Nick Park's Wallace & Gromit titles), I cued up The Morph Files, Vol. 1 with all the eagerness of a Trekkie on Ebay bidding on a pair of William Shatner's shorts. Picture SNL's old Mr. Bill--only minus the vibrant color--and you've got an inkling of what the featureless Morph, his friend Chas, and their claymation companions look like. Now, add the fact that they sound like eunuch Teletubbies (or pre-literate Chipmunks), and you've got an idea of just how grating this occasionally inventive series--which looks suspiciously like the work of technically gifted students--really is. The first volume features four roughly 10-minute shorts, including, and I'll quote directly from the press release, "Doctor Morph--Morph's cooking plans backfire with gooey results--and upset tummies, with Doctor Morph saving the day with a cake creation." All I'll add is that the segment itself is just as bland and uninspiring as the blurb. The other pieces on the first volume are "Babysitting," "Exercising," and "Gardening," and for the truly sadomasochistic amongst you, three other volumes are available as well. Not recommended. Aud: P. (R. Pitman)