Continuity mistake: Check out the police car(s) when Axel is in the back of the trailer truck. At first, the police arrive in a then-new 1984 Plymouth Gran Fury, then when the truck flees, the police car reverses back out of the alley, emerging in the next shot as a late 1970's Dodge St.Regis. The next shot has the police car now a 1977 Plymouth Fury, which seconds later changes back again to the St.Regis. (00:04:50)
Revealing mistake: Just before the white Beetle is struck by the truck, it can be seen moving forward as if being driven, but there is nobody in it, and its tires do no touch the ground as if it is on casters being pushed by the green Buick (with black vinyl top) behind it. A tubular brace that might connect the Beetle to the Buick falls off the Beetle's right-side rocker panel when the car is hit. (00:07:15)
Revealing mistake: Near the start of the truck chase, a long shot shows the truck followed by several police cars. In the foreground, another police car's roof comes into view, showing hastily-applied orange numbers on the roof. They appear to be magnetic vinyl, but don't adhere well at all, looking very wavy, with gaps under them. Also, they seem to be applied over faded, yellow, painted, *different* numbers, and are aligned so badly, that the old numbers are very exposed. This error is visible in later shots as well, but most exposed here. (00:05:15)
Continuity mistake: During the first chase scene, the semi passes by an empty taxi cab and when the camera angle changes, the semi crashes into the same taxi cab. (00:06:05)
Continuity mistake: When a police car pulls in front of the truck from a side-street, a shot from inside the truck's cab just before the two collide shows the police car's license plate reads '742JOU', its unit number (on the C-pillar) is '82340', and its trunk lock cylinder is missing. As the car spins out with its rear toward a camera, the plate now reads '103DLS', the unit number becomes '82199' and the lock cylinder is back. (00:05:20)
Continuity mistake: During the opening chase, the truck's under-bumper license plates vanish in some shots, usually the same shots that show a wood board protecting the grille.
Other mistake: After the early truck chase, Axel arrives at the police station. He walks through a glass door that reads 'Investigaton Operations Division' which is missing the last 'i' in the first word, exactly as I've typed it here. (00:08:10)
Visible crew/equipment: During the opening truck chase, a camera mount is visible in the back of one of the pursuing police cars.
Chosen answer: Much of Axel Foley's lines were improvised, including this scene, according to the commentary. But many other actors improvised their lines too, most notably Bronson Pinchot. The script was originally written with the intent of Sylvester Stallone playing Axel and as such, the issue of his race wasn't scripted and the director tried to avoid mentioning race in the film. It was Eddie Murphy that would bring it up in improvised lines.
Bishop73