Other mistake: During the scene where Phoenix is questioning the leader of the future society in his office, he says at least one word (hell) that he should have been fined for, and isn't. We see that there is a ticket printer in the room in a later scene, when Savage sets it off during his own confrontation. (01:06:50)
Plot hole: Even if the 30 bus passengers that were already dead had been burned up in the explosion of the building their bodies would still have been autopsied after the fact, thus proving that Phoenix had killed them beforehand and vindicated Spartan.
Suggested correction: Considering a building fell on the bodies it would be extremely hard to determine the actual cause of death. Phoenix also could have killed them in a way that doesn't easily show in an autopsy, like asphyxiation.
True, but why would they take the word of a known murdering kingpin over a police officer that while may not do things by the book, has always been for the greater good? It just seems way too far fetched.
The lack of soot and other ignition debris in the lungs and tracheas of the dead bodies would have immediately told the pathologists and coroners who examined the bodies that the hostages were dead before the building was destroyed by an explosion supposedly set off by John Spartan. It doesn't matter how badly mangled the bodies were - a tissue sample no bigger than your little finger would have told them everything they needed to know. John Spartan did not commit manslaughter.
Plot hole: When Spartan jumps through the window in the excavation scene of the museum, he crashes into a room with bottles of drink on the shelves. Surely this room too would have been filled in and the window smashed during the earthquake, and the museum wouldn't have bothered to excavate it as it can't be seen from above due to the blanked out window. So what is that room doing there? (00:49:20)
Suggested correction: It is not an excavation. It is only made to appear like an excavation for the museum; it is all decor to display the 20th century items like the car.
Character mistake: When the alarms go off in the police station indicating the code 187 all the police officers are confused as to what is going on since they know nothing of MDKs. Zack Lamb should have already known what the code meant, yet he never says anything and just waits for everyone to figure it out.
Suggested correction: I took it as he went into almost shock that after so many years a murder had actually taken place. He says, "I don't believe it," indicating he knew what the code meant but then he kind of froze until Phoenix's name was mentioned.
Suggested correction: Zack Lamb is quite old and it's possible he simply forgot what the code meant. He was a pilot too, not a street cop.
When Stallone first meets Lamb after being thawed in the future, he tells Spartan he was "grounded" after the events in the opening scene so had not been a pilot for 36 years.
Continuity mistake: In the car chase he crawls out of the window, the next shot shows the car door is open.
Suggested correction: He doesn't crawl out the window, this type of car door has only glass above the door so with the glass down he can go out before fully opening the door. You just don't see him opening the door in the previous shot.
Stupidity: Dr. Cocteau's choice to unleash an enhanced Simon Phoenix without any way to restrain him is incredibly reckless and stupid. Even if Simon were to kill Eager Friendly, in the best case situation, you'd still have a madman with total computer access, martial arts knowledge, etc., that you would have no way to rein in. Sure, he can't kill Dr. Cocteau, but what would stop him from say, holding the city hostage or something? Why not add in a kill code or something to keep him in check?
Suggested correction: Who says he didn't? Cocteau has put in mental conditioning compelling Phoenix to kill Edgar Friendly and make him unable to kill Cocteau. Who says he hasn't put in something that makes him kill himself after the deed is done? Or perhaps paralyze him so he can be put back on ice. It's just that Cocteau didn't count on the fact that his henchmen could kill him. He doesn't care about how dangerous he is, not until he has done the deed.
Dr. Cocteau is a narcissistic egomaniac type that would see himself as a king or a god, even. And Simon is making him very angry. He even tells Simon, "you're beginning to be more trouble than you're worth..." Someone with an ego like Cocteau wouldn't stand for Simon's antics for very long. And would happily enjoy putting Simon back in his place by shocking, paralyzing, etc.
But he first needs him to kill Friendly. Until he does that, he'll let him play. He still sees no danger to himself.
Suggested correction: Maybe it's because Phoenix isn't coded, so the swear printer doesn't know who to fine, and for that matter, because of it, it may not even register that it actually is being said by a human (it might be assuming it is a recording) since there is no voiceprint/coding match to attach the fine to.
wb6vpm
False correction as when Simon was using the computer on the street (the "damn I'm possessed" scene) he curses there and it gives him a violation there. So therefore the machine in the leaders office should have given him a fine as well.
lartaker1975
True, but it may also be a technological limitation based on proximity, (when Phoenix is in the booth, it knows that the person who violated the rule is right there, as it can easily "triangulate" his position based on there being multiple microphones in the booth for better background noise rejection, vs in a room where there are potentially multiple people in the same room.
wb6vpm
This is too much of a stretch to justify a mistake in the film. You're making stuff up about non-existent technology that isn't fully explained in the film. The mistake stands, whether it was deliberate to keep the flow of the scene or a slip in dialog by the actor.
Bishop73