Continuity mistake: As the massive tidal wave is rolling through Manhattan, when it cuts to Sam looking at Laura from the steps, the two taxis in front of the library are further away from each other, than in the following shot when Sam has to jump on the cars just to get over them. (00:48:00)
Continuity mistake: When the wave is hitting the city, there is one bloke standing by the library who is watching the camera. Camera cuts to another view, and the bloke has disappeared. (00:48:45)
Continuity mistake: In the scene when Terry Rapson is looking at his grandson's drawing, Simon comes into the room and puts a cup of tea on the desk. In the first two shots you see that the cup is in the same position where the handle is facing exactly towards the camera, but in the third shot, it has changed position, and the handle is now pointing to the left. (00:49:25)
Continuity mistake: After Sam's phone call to his dad, when Jack holds his wife with both hands at her cheekbones the position of her hair changes from under his hands to over, between shots. (00:56:20)
Continuity mistake: When all the people are in the library sheltering from the cold, in the overhead shot of the guard (the one who told the homeless guy he can't enter the library with a dog), he is in front of Laura and then walks to his right with clothing/blankets in his hand, but in the next shot he is behind Laura and the black cop. (00:58:40)
Continuity mistake: When Jack is briefing the President, he draws a line on a map of the U.S. and tells the President to have everybody south of that line evacuated. The shape of the line changes three times between shots. (01:04:20)
Continuity mistake: In the scene where Sam smashes the vending machine in the library, you see him first take out about three items from it, and then in the next shot you see him holding two items, but when he throws them onto the table there are about a dozen packets of sweets and crisps. (01:11:25)
Continuity mistake: When the students are looking around the library for books to burn, it cuts to a girl and man standing on the balcony beside a book cart. When the guy reaches across to grab a book and says, "We can't burn this one..." he is holding the book with both hands, but in the following shot his left hand is on the book and the other hand is on the cart. (01:11:35)
Continuity mistake: When Lucy is saying good bye and hugging her co-worker, she puts her arm over the co-worker's shoulder. When it cuts, Lucy's arm is gone and when it cuts it's back over her shoulder. (01:13:15)
Continuity mistake: When T.J. is talking with the homeless black guy who is sitting on the floor telling the student how to keep warm, the guy throws the student a book to rip up and make himself warm. When he throws the book, the student is grasping the book at the bottom with his left hand, but in the following shot his left hand is at the top of the book. (01:16:30)
Continuity mistake: Sam smashes the window on the boat to get into the medical room. Glass is left in the frame, however. Camera does an instant cut and the glass has gone completely. (01:30:00)
Continuity mistake: When Sam and the other two students are on the big ship, Sam goes outside so that the wolves will chase him, locks the door, then climbs the ladder to a door where the students are. The black student is startled and turns around with a metal scoop to his right getting ready to sling it, but in the following shot the scoop is over his left shoulder. (01:34:20)
Continuity mistake: When Jack arrives in New York he's right next to the Statue of Liberty. When the camera pans abowe the Statue of Liberty, you can see that front of the Statue is in light, and it's back in shadow. In the next shot front of the Statue is in shadow, and back in light. (01:42:35)
Continuity mistake: When Jack and the other bloke are standing and ask where the library is, they take off their skis and sled, and run a few metres and look over a sand dune. The camera zooms out a fair bit, but the sled has disappeared. (01:43:05)
Continuity mistake: At the end of the movie, when they are all in the helicopter, it cuts to a view of them looking out the window. In this shot, the black actor is sitting next to the window, on the other side of the helicopter, but in the following one, he has suddenly switched seats, and is no longer sitting next to the window. (01:49:40)
Continuity mistake: When Sam and his two teammates are on their way to NYC for the competition, the airplane gets hit by turbulence. Two attendants go to the back of the aisle with the drink cart, when the plane starts to shake, and in the long shot of the aisle (from the head to the back) one of them is in front of the cart and the other one is behind. However, both are behind the cart in the close up, when they try to prevent the cart from hitting anybody.
Continuity mistake: When Jack is trekking north to Manhattan with two of his colleagues, one falls through a glass ceiling and the other cuts his right hand trying to save him. Despite the fact that we see his hand bleeding profusely, you can see in the subsequent scene that his right hand is just fine.
Continuity mistake: As the tidal wave is heading towards the library, the homeless man picks up his dog and runs towards the library. In the next shot his dog is still on the ground.
Continuity mistake: The image from the space station that is sent to Tamlyn has no vortex. However when she sees the images on her screen there is a vortex about 50 miles in diameter.
Continuity mistake: When Sam and the others are walking in the rain toward the library, they are carrying backpacks or duffel bags, but when they reach the steps they are not carrying any extra baggage.
Suggested correction: The bags were slowing them down, so they probably just abandoned them in the street.
