Factual error: In the car at the beginning of the movie, Jean uses her telekinetic powers to switch the radio from a station playing "By the time I get to Phoenix" by Glen Campbell to Warren Zevon's "Werewolves of London." It's 1975, and Zevon recorded the song only in 1978 (although the song itself had already been written in 1975, other artists played it in live concerts in the Fall of that year). (00:01:30)
Factual error: When they are trying to navigate the shuttle through Eadu, the shuttle abruptly collides with a rock, which causes Bodhi to jolt backwards. If the shuttle hitting the rock had caused the shuttle reduce speed so abruptly, in the way that was shown, then Bodhi would have jolted forwards, not backwards. (00:57:05)
Factual error: When Koba steals an Armored Security Vehicle class M1117A Guardian, he kills the gunner from the turret and then somehow manages to use the 240B attached to the turret. First, it takes three men/apes to operate the ASV, and second, the ASV cannot be operated from the turret. In that scene, it is assumed that Koba is operating the entire vehicle, something most humans cannot do or do not know how to do. Let alone a 240B, MK19, or .50 Cal M2 Browning. The ASV turned in the direction of the wall, which was the only way that the Apes were able to breach the city walls. This is also kind of an important plot hole blunder too because if it were not for the breach from the ASV, the Apes would not have won. The other blunder from this is that the gunner would not have been exposed from the hatch, since the ASV was using .50Cal and MK19. No need to use the 240B.
Factual error: The electric guitar Marty plays at the "Enchantment Under the Sea Dance" is a Gibson ES345. This guitar model debuted between 1957 and 1958 yet he's supposedly playing it in 1955. It would have been more accurate to have him using a Fender Telecaster (1950) or Stratocaster (1954) or a Gibson Les Paul (1952). (01:23:50)
Factual error: If the Russian cosmonauts need special suits to survive out in space, so should Lacy when she is abducted by Nuclear Man. (00:02:50 - 01:20:20)
Factual error: While the problem with refuelling the SR71 is a real one for D.A.R.Y.L., he is never going to get that far. The SR71 had no self starters and required a trained crew with a starter generator mounted on a truck to get the engines going in the first place. D.A.R.Y.L. just pushes a button and away he goes. Not likely.
Factual error: In the DJ spin-off scene, Zach and Francessca help make Meeker cool by going into hypertime and giving him a dance lesson. At one point, we see Zach and Francessca in hypertime making Meeker do flips. Then, in real time, we see that Meeker is doing the flips at the same speed that he was doing in hypertime. Wouldn't he be going a lot faster in real time, not the same speed as he was in hypertime?
Factual error: Proteus refills its air supply in the lungs. The lungs are filled with normal sized oxygen molecules. How are they supposed to breathe them? (In the book, they had a miniaturizer on the sub, but there is nothing in the movie to explain this.)
Factual error: When they're first entering the whaling camp, a penguin startles Miller. That penguin was a black-footed penguin, which is a bird native to much warmer climates. If that little guy had actually been in Antarctica, he would have died within minutes. (00:20:40)
Factual error: Laredo drives the ship out of the starship docking station and scrapes the main hull on the walls. This would not be possible without either scraping the wings first, as they are much wider than the main ship, or turning nearly sideways, which they clearly don't.
Factual error: Shazam catches the bus with his hands, but it lands on his hands and face by the windshield. This puts the entire weight of the bus being supported by just the front windshield held by Shazam's hands, plus the momentum of it falling from the bridge hitting him. No way the glass could support all that and not break. Especially since it already cracked from just a guy falling on it.
Factual error: Winter in Antarctica would not have a night and day as portrayed, with the amount of light changing so much during the course of 24 hours.
Factual error: The geography around the VLA in New Mexico is actually relatively flat - in fact one of the reasons why the array complex is there is because the land is flat. The canyon in the film was actually Canyon de Chelly, in Arizona, more than 170 miles (270 km) away. But in the film, when Ellie goes to the canyon, the radio antennas seem to be right there, insinuating that the canyon is part of the VLA's magical desert scenery.
Factual error: When Shorty is removing Jennings' memories in the beginning, the pictures shown are from a third person viewpoint. If they are his memories, shouldn't these be from Jennings' viewpoint? (00:06:40)
Factual error: In the begining at the bridge ceremony, the band plays Manhattan Beach by John Philip Sousa. However, Manhattan Beach was composed in 1893. (00:00:50)
Factual error: In the underwater scene when Rex blows up the ice pack, ice appears to be denser than water in this situation. The ice sinks when it's blown up, and even if there were pieces of metal on top of the ice, it shouldn't. Some pieces the size of a five-story building have no metal and still sink. (01:43:00)
Factual error: Erik arrives in Argentina at a place called Villa Gesell, shown to be a town in middle of mountains. Villa Gesell is a beach town on the Atlantic Ocean coast, with no mountains.
Factual error: The suits worn by dangerous disease researchers would definitely never tear if the hose was pulled.
Factual error: When Sam climbs outside the ship he grabs the frozen metallic pipes and rails with both hands - one half covered with a glove, one is bare. He has no problem gripping the cold metal and he can get his hands free every time. If the moisture froze before contact, his hands would be frozen too, so that can't be the reason.
Factual error: The solar panels (or mirrors) are facing away from the sun. The sun's position can be estimated from ground shadows and object highlights and the panels are facing in completely the wrong direction. (01:11:40)