Factual error: Riggs is shown using a laser-sight on his handgun throughout the entire movie. However, almost every single time he turns it on, the entire "beam" of the laser is visible, which doesn't happen in real life unless there is smoke/vapor/debris in the air. Obviously done for the sake of the audience seeing where the laser is pointed, but still a mistake.
Factual error: During The "What A Day In London" sequence, William Shakespeare is seen reading his line "to be or not to be" from his play Hamlet. Pocahontas did sail to London in 1616, but Shakespeare died on April 23rd 1616, when Pocahontas arrived on June 12th 1616.
Factual error: When Christian Slater and Minnie Driver are trying to get out of the water before it reaches the transformer, there is a real big problem with this scene. If there really was a flood and it was rising that high, the city should have shut off the electricity to the entire city, to prevent any electric hazards that may happen in that situation.
Factual error: During the plague when the fire and rocks are falling from the sky, they fall behind a statue of Rameses and are seen through its hollow eye holes. It makes for a great image, but that would mean that the statue's eyes were punched out like a mask, even though before they were just carved into the stone.
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... .
Factual error: 6 years in a mask and he's able to keep that lovely babyface with just a little bit of grime, which easily comes off? Of course it would have wrecked the whole story but still...
Factual error: In the scene where Hobbes is talking to Reese in his cell, Reese talks to him in a foreign language. It's stated on at least two occasions that Reese is speaking Dutch. He isn't - he's speaking German.
Factual error: When the aircraft crashes on the island, the front of the aircraft strikes the ground which would have bent the propeller. They would have never been able to fly it again with that prop.
Factual error: The chiropractor that Ben Stiller's character visits says "Tender fascial tissue left of L7" as he is treating his back. However there are only 5 Lumbar Vertebra in our back, L7 doesn't exist.
Factual error: At the beginning, when Helen is running for her train, the station signs clearly say Embankment. However the type of train that she misses/catches is specific to the Waterloo & City Line, which only runs between Bank and Waterloo - it doesn't go anywhere near Embankment!
Factual error: Even though Pops is in such bad shape that he needs a heart transplant, he isn't hooked up to any monitors or equipment while in the hospital.
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.
Factual error: Leonardo da Vinci's painting, the Mona Lisa, was originally painted on wood, impossible for it to have been unrolled after taking it out of the canister. Also, if it hadn't been painted on wood, it would have been painted on canvas, which doesn't stay partially rolled after you take it out of a tube of some kind. It would not have been painted on paper. (00:23:55)
Factual error: Dean Martin always drank apple juice when he was on stage because it looked so much like scotch and water and he had to keep up his reputation of being a heavy drinker who forgets where he is.
Factual error: About 20 minutes in when they are at some ball/dance thing, Shakespeare's talking with a musician holding a lute. You can see fret markers on the fretboard of his lute, but these were not used on instruments until the late 1800's, early 1900's, definitely not in Shakespeare's time. (00:27:20)
Factual error: In the scene when the opposing team's players interrupt the party on the bayou and the knife is pulled, the patches on the sheriff's uniform say County Sheriff. Louisiana has parishes not counties.
Factual error: When Sally is leaving to rescue Gilly from her boyfriend she asks the Aunts to look after her children. The Aunts then say that they will take the children with them to the solstice celebration. A few days later when the cop is interviewing Sally he gives the date as March 8th. There are two solstices each year, one in December and one in June. Since this film takes place in early March, the Aunts could not have been going to a solstice celebration.
Factual error: The supposedly Great War vintage gas mask James Whale finds and later gets Clayton to wear is in fact a British style introduced in the 1930's, and the specific variation shown was not made except during WW2. In addition, during the flashbacks to WW1, various pieces of WW2 equipment crop up (e.g. helmets with spring-loaded canvas covered chin straps instead of leather chin straps, and WW2 British pattern gas mask bags).
Factual error: The movie is set in 1971, but during the start of the motorcycle race several of the bikes are obviously early 90's Honda CR's and Suzuki RM's. You can tell this from the disc brakes on the front wheels of the bikes and the 90's style plastic fenders and bike colors. Bikes in the 70's generally had metal fenders and definitely no front disc brakes.
Factual error: When Swayze starts the truck, he turns a key and it starts. The key only switches on the electronics. Peterbuilts have a push button starter switch.
Suggested correction: It's Dutch. "Wie de bal kaatst." Just what Reese said. "What goes around..."