5. Johnny Utah
Technically, there’s nothing inherently funny about the name Johnny Utah. However, the way in which Point Break uses it somehow turns it into a particularly unique form of absurdist humor. Played by Keanu Reeves, Special Agent Johnny Utah is the protagonist who is tasked with infiltrating a gang of bank-robbing surfers.
Three factors contribute to what makes Johnny Utah’s name funny. The first is that he isn’t from Utah at all – he’s from Ohio. The second is that he’s addressed by his full name with striking regularity (in practically every scene), with roughly one third of them including the “Special Agent” title. The third is that he goes by Johnny rather than John, even in a professional capacity.
Though Special Agent John Utah (from Ohio) is still funny, the use of what equates to a nickname somehow makes it all the stranger. The fact that Johnny Utah is actually a well-known Ohio native tips it over into the realms of comedy, with the added bonus being that no one mentions how ridiculous it really is. The Point Break remake actually fixed it by making “Utah” a nickname, which probably goes some way toward explaining just how much the name stands out in Point Break as utterly ridiculous.