Continuity mistake: When Foley is being thrown out of Maitland's office, four of Maitland's bodyguards grab Foley, while the fifth man (the one wearing sunglasses) leads them out. His jacket is buttoned as they grab Foley. In the next shot, you see him buttoning his jacket. (00:29:28)
Continuity mistake: When Axel is at Victor's gate, looking at his house, the two other cops show up and Axel turns to face them. When you see the shot from in front of them, they're standing shoulder to shoulder. But the shots from behind show them standing a few feet apart.
Continuity mistake: Right before Axel shoots Zack at the mansion, there is a large vase behind Axel. When he shoots Zack however, the vase disappears. There are bullet holes in the wall where the vase was, implying Zack fired his gun at Axel. But Zack never fires his gun, so the vase simply vanishes from the scene. (01:32:00)
Continuity mistake: At the end shoot out in the house, Foley and Taggart bump into each other and a henchman shoots the grass near them with a submachine gun, ripping up the grass. Billy shoots the assailant and they come out from behind the wall - the grass that was shot up is in pristine condition, with no bullet holes or damage whatsoever. (01:28:15)
Continuity mistake: When Axel is at the restaurant asking for Victor, he is scratching his neck from the shot over his shoulder. However, in the very next shot, both his hand are by his aside.
Continuity mistake: When Serge asks Axel for his name, his has his hand on his neck. In the next shot from over his shoulder, his hand is not there. In the next shot, his hand is under his chin, and then in the next shot from over his shoulder his hand is not there.
Continuity mistake: During the shoot out at Maitland's mansion, when Zak is shot, you see the actor who plays him lying on the floor, in the next shot, his stunt double is lying on the floor.
Continuity mistake: When Axel jumps into the stakeout car, he leans on the seat backs and starts chatting with Taggart and Rosewood. At one point Axel asks why they're always arguing together. The shot cuts to Taggart but now Axel isn't anywhere near the seat backs. (00:50:45)
Continuity mistake: When Jenny leaves Axel at the bonded warehouse, he puts his right hand on the car's fender. In the next shot his hand is resting on the windshield corner instead. (00:45:35)
Continuity mistake: When Axel approaches Victor and Zack at the Harrow Club, Victor is holding a menu. When the shot cuts, the menu is lying flat on the table. (01:04:05)
Continuity mistake: When Taggart and Rosewood are replaced with another pair of detectives, Taggart is either looking at Bogomil or the two detectives, depending on the angle. (00:58:05)
Continuity mistake: When Axel Foley hits Victor's hitman in the restaurant and the hitman lands on the buffet table, he has lots of stuff on his face and something green is stuck on his forehead. In the next shot, the hitman's face has been cleaned up a little and the green thing stuck on his forehead disappears.
Continuity mistake: When Axel is shot in the arm at Maitland's house, he falls into a white tiled room. His gun is already lying on the floor well in front of him as he is falling.
Continuity mistake: When Axel elbows the guy in the face at the strip club you can see his elbow not even hitting the guy's face.
Continuity mistake: When the semi crashes into the fruit truck you see the impact, but the camera angle changes and you see the semi hitting the truck again.
Chosen answer: Much of Axel Foley's lines were improvised, including this scene, according to the commentary. But many other actors improvised their lines too, most notably Bronson Pinchot. The script was originally written with the intent of Sylvester Stallone playing Axel and as such, the issue of his race wasn't scripted and the director tried to avoid mentioning race in the film. It was Eddie Murphy that would bring it up in improvised lines.
Bishop73