Factual error: The movie takes place during the 1990s, but throughout the movie cars are shown with Illinois license plates with "Illinois" written in cursive. These plates were not introduced until 2001. (00:24:45)
Continuity mistake: When Paul Blart puts on his Hello Kitty bandaid on his arm in the next shot it has disappeared.
Other mistake: At 1:39:14 the bomb arms, 32 seconds later at 1:39:46 (two seconds after it should have blown up) Dan and Molly jump from the helicopter. Then 10 secs later at 1:39:56, the plane FINALLY blows up after giving them those extra 12 secs to jump and conveniently make it to the pool below.
Factual error: During the first tunnel sequence, all the cars travel very far into the mountains, turn lots of corners, yet not only is Gisele still able to speak to them over the radios, their GPS still works. GPS signals invariably need a clear 'sight' of the sky and can penetrate light cover, but most certainly not that depth and cover. (00:58:05)
Continuity mistake: In the scene where Watson and Adler are laying out the map, they place two objects on the map to hold it down. In the very next clip where it shows Holmes talking, you see Watson and Adler placing those same objects on the map.
Continuity mistake: In the scene where Stu, Phil, and Allan are retrieving the tiger back to Mike Tyson, the tiger scratches Phil. As they get out of the car, the camera has the tiger in full frame as he growls at Phil, you see chains around the tigers' neck as a leash that was never there before.
Plot hole: So he needed the help of a big strong burly guy to flip the safe with the body, end over end to the pit, but he somehow was able to easily get it out of his basement and into the back of his car by himself?
Factual error: In one scene, focused on a period wood-staked pickup truck parked on the street, you can see clearly a modern Jeep Grand Cherokee parked on the other side of the street.
Continuity mistake: When Carrie confronts Dr Fury at the end, her sweater is buttoned, then unbuttoned, then buttoned again. (01:28:20 - 01:28:55)
Continuity mistake: The guard rail disappears when the camera cuts then is back again before the bus goes off the road.
Continuity mistake: The first time we see the zoom on the digital watch on Gabriel's arm in the vault, it's counting up the time. Next couple of times we see the watch, it counts down the time. (01:04:35 - 01:05:35)
Factual error: When Robert Bingham is shooting at Cal, an MPD (Washington, DC) squad car shows up. However, the scene is set in Crystal City in Arlington, Virginia, outside of MPD's jurisdiction. Arlington County Police would have responded instead. (01:13:05)
Factual error: Contrary to what the movie states, priests can be elected Pope - they are simply elevated to the rank of Bishop before taking the office.
Suggested correction: Him being only a priest was simply an excuse not to elect him. Those who did not want him to be pope were trying to find any reason to keep it from happening.
Any baptized Catholic male can be elected pope, although it has only happened once. Pope John XIX in the 11th century was a layman, ordained after his election.
Factual error: We see Hoffman has to use pliers and force to remove Strahm's hand from the grill. However, since the hand is freshly severed, rigor mortis would not have set in, and he should have been able to remove it with ease. (01:09:30)
Continuity mistake: When Murphy, Connor, and Romeo arrive at Doc's bar the first time, a cigarette can be seen tucked behind Murphy's left ear, but when the boys enter the bar, it is now behind his right ear.
Continuity mistake: When they go into the garbage chute Hutch goes in head first, but comes out at the bottom feet first yet had no room to swivel round.
Factual error: When the guys first set up the website to accept submissions, the year is 1997. We see a shot of the computer screen which displays that they are running Windows XP, which wasn't released until 2001.
Continuity mistake: While Sam is talking to Trudy in the bank about the burned church, the name tag on the door in the background when the camera is focused on Trudy is there, then it isn't, then it reappears again throughout the scene. (00:35:30 - 00:36:00)
Character mistake: Candy's full name is Candace Washington, which is referred to in the movie, yet when she is released early from prison, the correction officer calls her Candace Collins.
Revealing mistake: When Vang and Chev are running and about to jump the fence into the power station, look in the fence and you can see the handy foot holds that the actors use to go over the fence.