Top 5 Fish Out of Water comedies

Some formulas deserve to live on in perpetuity.

Take the “fish out of water” storyline. Drop an unsuspecting character into a place he or she has never been before and watch the comedy bubble to the surface.

Renee Zellweger’s “New in Town” is just the latest entry into the Fish category, although it’s far from the best example of how the formula shines.

For that, consider these five funny features – looks like the 1980s were the zenith for these films.

• “Crocodile Dundee” (1986) – Talk about a stranger in a strange land. Good think Mick Dundee has that big knife at his hip. Paul Hogan became a star, albeit briefly, from this fun, imaginative romp.

• “Beverly Hills Cop” (1984) -You can take the cop out of Detroit, but you can’t take the Detroit out of the cop. Eddie Murphy’s ascent to superstardom required the help of Axel Foley and a seriously ’80s soundtrack.
• “Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home” (1986) – Yes, this one’s technically science fiction, but watching Kirk and Spock stumble their way around 20th century earth is a hoot. And how do you top Spock silencing a punk rocker and his blaring boom box? That’s fish out of water perfection!
• “Big” (1988) – Tom Hanks doesn’t travel to any far off land in this Penny Marshall classic. Instead, he’s a kid suddenly thrust into an adult world. And he’s scared … who could blame him?
• “Pretty Woman” (1990) – How would a call girl shop in Beverly Hills’ finest retail corridor? Julia Roberts found out the hard way, but came out a winner thanks to Richard Gere’s credit card and some moxie.

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