Best sci-fi movie factual errors of all time

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Factual error: In the scene in Stuttgart, we see a "reserved parking" sign written as "Reservierten Parken". First of all, this is grammatically wrong - if used at all, it should be "Reserviertes Parken". But you wouldn't find a sign in Germany saying that. They say "Reservierter Parkplatz".

Daniel4646

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Star Trek III: The Search for Spock picture

Factual error: According to "The Doomsday Machine", full impulse drive is one-quarter the speed of light. In the first two movies, Enterprise used thrusters as opposed to impulse drive to leave Spacedock, confirming the notion that impulse drive is far too fast to leave such a (comparatively) small structure. Styles, however, orders Excelsior to one-quarter impulse, which is 18,750 km/s. In one second, she will travel half again Earth's diameter. From the time he gives the order to the time we see Excelsior clear spacedock's doors is approximately 40 seconds. Even allowing 30 seconds to go from rest to one quarter impulse, spacedock must be 13-15 times bigger than Earth! That's some serious engineering. (00:23:45)

Grumpy Scot

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Suggested correction: I reckon the writers always refer to levels of "impulse power" precisely so they don't have to worry too much about particular speeds (personally I always thought of it as roughly analogous to gears on a vehicle, but your mileage may vary). They use impulse to leave dock in both Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (it's implied to be unusual in both cases, for what it's worth). If all of that contradicts an earlier episode, I think we're looking at more of a retcon situation than a mistake.

TonyPH

Suggested correction: The warp scale has been adjusted several times, so it is impossible to say precisely how fast this fictional technology is, and by extension, how fast impulse is.

Impulse drive speed on starships have been consistent. Although sometimes quarter impulse on a shuttle refers to quarter power and not speed. Even if the speed of quarter impulse is 10 times slower than suggested (and used in the series), spacedock would still be 1.3-1.5 times bigger than Earth, which it wasn't. "It's fictional technology" is usually only a valid correction if the technology isn't explained in-universe. However, when certain parameters regarding fictional technology are established (even if they set wide parameters such as warp speed velocities) violations or contradictions (through bad script writing or whatnot) are valid mistakes.

Bishop73

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Lost in Space picture

Factual error: When the Jupiter 2 blasts off, it does so in the most fuel inefficient way possible - flat surface first. The air resistance would be fifty times less if they'd angled it side on. Plus, when the aerodynamic cover blasts away, the Jupiter 2 itself is revealed - and it is more aerodynamic than the cover. Rocket science must have taken a few steps backward lately... .

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X-Men: Days of Future Past picture

Factual error: When Magneto enters RFK stadium, a groundskeeper is lining a baseball field. RFK stadium did not host baseball in 1973, as the Washington Senators had moved to Texas to become the Texas Rangers after the 1971 season. In 1973, the only team playing in RFK regularly was the Washington Redskins of the NFL. In addition, the Paris Peace Accords were signed in January of 1973; so there wouldn't be green grass inside the stadium, regardless of what sports were being played there.

msgelter

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The Island picture

Factual error: When the first train wheel hits the ground in the close up, you can see that it isn't made of steel as it deforms as if it were foam. And there is also no damage to the concrete road whatsoever, since the wheels are made of steel there should have been quite a big hole. (01:17:50)

Ronnie Bischof

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First Men In The Moon picture

Factual error: When the Victorian astronauts are on the moon they are dressed in deep sea diving suits - without gloves.

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Suggested correction: Is this really a mistake? H G Wells wrote "The First Men In The Moon" over 1900-1901 before the invention of the aeroplane, when space travel was still a fantasy. By 1964 Yuri Gagarin and Valentina Tereshkova had flown into outer space, so the makers of this film knew what sort of equipment would be needed if you really wanted to make a trip to the moon. And this film shows astronauts in suits copied from those worn by actual astronauts. But the idea of the original book, and this 1964 film, was that a (very) eccentric English Victorian scientist led an expedition to the Moon. So, surely, if Victorian Englishmen and Englishwomen went to the Moon, they would have used the technology available at the time. Beside that, when they reach the Moon they find it is inhabited. Even in 1900 astronomers knew there was no life on the Moon. I don't think this film was meant to be taken too seriously, and that when they made the film they deliberately dressed the cast in deep sea diving suits as a joke.

Rob Halliday

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Radar Men From The Moon picture

Factual error: Since this film serial was made in the early 1950s there are many scientific inaccuracies about the moon in it, not the least of which is that, according to the story, the moon has exactly the same gravitational pull as Earth.

tromatic

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Thunderbirds picture

Factual error: As the Hood approaches central London in Thunderbird 2, they fly through Tower Bridge and over HMS Belfast, approaching from the East. However the onboard display in Thunderbird 1 shows TB2 approaching from the West, somewhere over Hammersmith.

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The Mist picture

Factual error: There is a scene near the beginning of the movie when the mist has just begun. A firetruck roars by, and has Caddo Parish Fire Dept. on the side. This movie is set in Maine. Louisiana is the only state with parishes. All others, including Maine, have counties. (00:10:50)

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Timecop picture

Factual error: We're told they carbon dated the gold to determine its age. Problem is, the gold hasn't aged by the normal processs - as it's been brought forward in time it will appear to be extremely new. As such carbon dating wouldn't work. Also, carbon dating only works on things that were alive and absorbed carbon-14; gold, having never been alive, could not be dated this way.

Jon Sandys

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Superman II picture

Factual error: After Superman accidentally frees the phantom zone villains with the exploding hydrogen bomb, they start flying towards the moon. The sleeves in their clothes can be seen fluttering around. This would be impossible because there is no air in outer space, hence nothing to cause resistance against the clothes.

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Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie picture

Factual error: Various Sydney landmarks can be seen throughout the movie (although the Centrepoint Tower and the Monorail play major roles). There are also some cars that have right-hand steering wheels despite the story being set in California, and some Australian model traffic lights (foot-long black cover with a grey pole) can be seen when the Scorpion bot destroys a car in front of the Rangers. (01:06:00)

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The Incredibles picture

Factual error: When the plane is attacked by missiles, Helen punches a button on the cockpit console and a screen lights up that says "chaff". The next shot shows the rear of the plane with several burning items coming from it that are supposed to be chaff. However, chaff containers burst open into thousands of radar-reflective strips that are meant to confuse radar-guided missiles (see real chaff in the movie Air Force One). What actually comes out are flares that burn extremely hot to confuse heat-seeking missiles. While it might be suggested that we just never see the containers burst open, later in the missile chase we see the exact same items in view for a much longer time and they never burst open.

Guy

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Star Wars picture

Factual error: After the Death Star, when TIE fighters are attacking the Millennium Falcon, each time one explodes at high speed, the debris and the fire does not keep moving.

Dr Wilson

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Starship Troopers picture

Factual error: Rico lives in Buenos Aires, which has no hills within a couple of hundred miles. The city shown in the film has hills.

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Flatliners picture

Factual error: Asystole (the lack of cardiac activity, also known as the 'flatline') is not treated with defibrillation (electric shocks) but with alternating doses of the drugs epinephrine and atropine.

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Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea picture

Factual error: With the radiation belt on fire, the icecaps begin to melt. The Seaview is bombarded by huge chucks of ice. The ice is sinking to the bottom like stones. Ice floats, it doesn't sink.

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Halloween III: Season of the Witch picture

Factual error: The "big giveaway" that happens at 9pm across the whole country would have to happen at least five different consecutive times due to time zones. The "big giveaway" in the most eastern time zone would be successful, but further west it would be earlier than 9pm.

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Who Am I? picture

Factual error: The locations mentioned in the film are all over the world, including South Africa and Rotterdam. During the car chase through South Africa, it is very clear that all the locations in this car chase are in Rotterdam. For example, at one point the car drives down stairs through a shopping-mall, this is a well-known landmark in Rotterdam. As a matter of fact it is about 1 kilometer from the bridge used in the finale of the movie.

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Resident Evil: Apocalypse picture

Factual error: When any character's automatic pistol runs out of bullets, the slide doesn't lock open. All the weapons shown are of a type which should.

Grumpy Scot

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