Factual error: Johnny shows Mavis the sunrise by keeping her back in the shadows. But if your whole body is in an object's shadow then you can't see the light source. The rising sun is reflected dead center in Mavis' eyes, which means the sunlight is touching her, which means she ought to be on fire.
Factual error: The flag of Spain shown at Cape Canaveral is not the official one used in 1969 but the one adopted in 1981. (01:19:50)
Factual error: When the boys get off the cranium shaker about ten people follow them out of the exit gate The ride only seats four.
Factual error: The film starts at Christmas in 1985, and we see various kids opening their toys, including one child who gleefully unwraps an NES Action Set. While the NES was out in the US in 1985, the Action Set wasn't released until 1988.
Factual error: When Sherrie and Drew are in Tower Records, the background song is I Remember You by Skid Row. But that album wasn't released until 1989, and the movie is set in 1987.
Suggested correction: The movie also says that Drew wrote "Don't Stop Believin" when the song came out in 1981. They also sing Heaven and More than words which didn't come out until 1989 and 1990 respectively. It's a musical that's full of 80's music, so they pulled all sorts of 80's music. It's not a mistake to have songs show up in a year, in a completely made up timeline.
Factual error: After Captain Dubois escapes from jail, she looks up missing lion on a computer and finds a news page with Alex on saying "FAMOUS CENTRAL PARK ZOO LION MISSING" and hits the Print Screen button on the computer and the news page prints. However, pushing the Print Screen button wouldn't print a document. It would just take a copy of the screen. No matter how much you push the Print Screen button, the page wouldn't print off. (00:40:20)
Factual error: On the Amtrak train, "Vicki" sees a sign advertising downhill skiing trips to Victoria, BC. There are no downhill ski areas in Victoria, or close by, and Amtrak doesn't travel to Victoria.
Factual error: In the scene where Dave is playing cards with soldiers, some of the paper money being gambled is a design of U.S. money not introduced until about 30 years later.
Factual error: At the beginning of the film, Pat's Mother picks him up in Baltimore to return to Philly. In the scene from the car as they pass the Linc, the stadium is on the right, indicating that they are in fact traveling South on 95 towards Baltimore. Additionally, the previous scene of the city from the car could not have been shot from 95.
Factual error: Lee gasses up his car on the Garden State Parkway while driving Imogene to NYC. Never has there ever been self-serve gasoline in the state of New Jersey.
Factual error: The beginning scene of the film is supposed to be in 1984. An Alf lunch box can be seen being carried by one of the students and Alf wasn't on the air until 1986.
Factual error: The VW Bug that the belfry falls on is a later model than 1965 when the movie is set. The larger tail light with yellow on the lens seen on the VW in the movie didn't come along until 1968. The one in the movie may even be of early 70's vintage.
Factual error: In the scene where Evan is talking to Sgt. Bressman in front of Costco, you can see that Bressman is wearing Maryland State Police lapel pins. This is incorrect because the movie is portrayed in Ohio.
Factual error: In the scene where the Bellas run out of gas, on their way to the second competition, it shows the gas gauge saying "unleaded fuel only." But when the bus runs out of gas it makes the sound that a diesel engine makes, not a regular gas engine.
Suggested correction: It's possible that different vehicles sound different.
Factual error: When Aladeen discusses how his rocket has to be pointy on the top, the rocket-scientist says: "The shape of the missile top has nothing to do with aerodynamics." This is factually wrong. Nose cone design is very important for aerodynamics. A real rocket-scientist never would say something like that. Stupid Aladeen even could be right with his pointy nose demands (although he fears a bounce back of the rocket not bad aerodynamic characteristics), because most modern missiles do have pointy nose cones.
Factual error: When Ranger takes Stephanie to buy a gun, the one she gets is a 5-shooter, but in the scene where she is firing it at the gun range by herself she shoots it 12 times without reloading. Later, in the scene where she shoots Jimmy Alpha, she fires it 7 times without reloading.
Factual error: At the beginning when Heinrich's brother falls from the building there are two mistakes that can be seen. First: The cars are driving on the wrong side of the road. Hong Kong drives on the left just as they do in England. Second: The license plates on the cars are for Mainland China, not for Hong Kong. China uses blue background with white letters, while Hong Kong uses yellow or white with black letters.
Factual error: The movie is set in the current time (2012), but Andy flies in an L1011 in the distinctive paint scheme of Delta Air Lines. Delta retired the last of their L1011 fleet in 2001.
Factual error: Dolphins wouldn't die or choke if their breathing hole is blocked. They can breath via their mouths. (00:57:00)
Factual error: When Dave shoots Justin 8 times, he empties the magazine of his semi-auto handgun, but he continues pulling the trigger, and the gun clicks several times. Semi-auto handguns do not "click" when they are empty, because it's impossible to pull the trigger. Also, the slide of Dave's handgun does not lock in the open position when the magazine is empty, as it should.
Suggested correction: Not really though. You see you can stand in the shadows but still look at the sun. No one actually does but it is possible.
A shadow is caused by something blocking the sun. If you stand in the shadow (i.e. you are no longer casting your own shadow), you can not see the sun. Think of lying on the beach and someone stands over you in such a way their shadow is cast over your head. The sun would be blocked from your view. You obviously would still see all the scattered light, but the sun would not be reflected off your eyes.
Bishop73