Another month, another movie to watch on Netflix. This go-around, Mick watched Naked, written, produced, and starring Marlon Waynes (of White Chicks and Scary Movie fame). Naked is a high-concept rom-com about a guy who keeps waking up naked in an elevator.
The first thing viewers should realize is the striking similarity this film has to Groundhog Day. Ultimately, both of these movies are about a character stuck in a time-warp forced to relive the same span of time over and over again. However, where Groundhog Day relied on Bill Murray's more subdued sense of delivery, Naked (and Marlon Waynes by extension) is much more ridiculous and overt in its humor.
The biggest difference between the cult-classic and its new-school counterpart is that Phil in Groundhog Day had to relive the same day over and over, starting from the moment he gets out of bed. In Naked, Rob relives a much shorter span of time, more on the order of 1-2 hours, starting from when he comes to naked in an elevator on his wedding day. Obviously, this presents a different set of challenges than the ones Phil faces.
Another thing that sets Naked apart from one of Bill Murray's most-loved movies is the difference in characterization. Phil starts Groundhog Day as a jerk and prima donna with little regard for the people around him and over the course of his millions of Groundhog Days learns to love his fellow man. Rob, on the other hand, suffers from Peter Pan Syndrome and struggles with accepting the responsibilities of adulthood.
It should be noted that this movie is not high art. There are definitely rough patches of dialogue in the script, but Waynes, to his credit, commits to them fully. The trailer and synopsis make a very specific promise and delivers on them in full. Overall, Naked is a fun, light-hearted rom-com that will amuse viewers over its tight 90-minute run time, especially if viewers are a fan of Groundhog Day.