Continuity mistake: As Gupta runs up to the airplane near the end, the mop changes from across his body to pointing in front of him between shots. There is no elapsed time in which to do this. (01:51:20)
Continuity mistake: When Amelia takes the "Sorry Phone Out of Order" sticker and sticks it to Viktor's shirt, it changes position in subsequent shots. She stuck it to his shirt with the sticker centered on the buttons of his shirt. In the next shot, the sticker is has the edge of the sticker over the buttons of the shirt and is not totally stuck to his shirt. After he saves her from falling on the wet floor, the sticker is once again centered and totally stuck to his shirt. (00:48:45)
Continuity mistake: When the head customs agent is trying to explain to Viktor what is happening, he starts to unpack his lunchpail. The lunchpail is a bit away from him on the table, and he sets the food in front of it, including a rather large bag of chips/crisps. The angle changes, and the chips/crisps have magically moved to behind the lunchpail. (00:05:30)
Continuity mistake: When Dixon and Viktor are riding down the escalator the amount of foam in Dixon's Starbucks cup is a small amount at the top of the escalator but a much larger amount when they reach the bottom. (00:24:05)
Continuity mistake: When Viktor is making the fountain, beside him there are 2 constructor guys - beside them there is a lamp which disappears when the food guy arrives with Viktor.
Continuity mistake: When Viktor and Amelia are talking about Napoleon in Border's Viktor is cleaning her glasses. He hands them back to her and she takes them with her right hand. A split second later in the next shot she has the glasses in her left hand and is grabbing them with her right hand. She did not have time to move them to her left hand after grabbing them. (01:02:20)
Continuity mistake: As Viktor is first running around the airport looking for televisions showing information on Krakhozia, he heads for the staircase to the second floor. A woman in dark clothes and a light scarf is walking in front of the escalator and another woman in a tan sweater and black pants is walking down the stairs as he approaches, but they disappear in the shot from above. (00:11:20)
Plot hole: The Russian with the goat medicine is transferring flights from Toronto. The likelihood that he would be doing that rather than flying into Russia directly from Canada is pretty slim. However, assuming he did, there are two major errors with this scenario. First, U.S. customs is cleared in Pearson Airport in Toronto so he would not be dealing with Dixon at all in New York. Secondly, it's unlikely he would be dealing with customs at all, as it would place all transferring passengers in a holding area and send them on their plane with no opportunity to go anywhere except onto the other planes. While the U.S. reserves the right to interrogate anyone entering the U.S., the fact is it would transfer him out as quickly as possible. (01:07:15)
Suggested correction: When the movie was made, there were no direct flights to Russia from Canada. Even today, most flights change planes in either Frankfurt, London, Helsinki, etc. There are cheaper flights originating or connecting in the US, so it is very likely he that he would travel to New York to get a direct flight to Moscow. When I travel to Russia, it is cheaper for me to get a flight to Seattle, and fly directly to Moscow, than to fly out of Canada and transfer planes in Europe. Since 911, ALL passengers travelling through the US must clear customs in the US even if only transferring flights. All passengers must deplane, and all luggage is removed from the plane, checked, and loaded again. If the Russian has goat medicine in his luggage, the FDA would definitely be interested in why he has it, and what for.
This is incorrect. You only have to clear customs on a US layover if your final destination is in the US. If your point of origin and the destination are outside the US and you just have a layover in the US you just need to go through the regular transit formalities not customs.
No, you are incorrect. I've done it many times. Post 9/11, if you use the US as transit point between two countries you need to clear immigration and customs. Moreover, you need a visa (or visa waiver).
Continuity mistake: When Victor gets in the taxi to go into New York, he has the guard's coat on and several gifts from his friends at the terminal outlets. When he is on the way back to the airport, he has none of those things.
Continuity mistake: When Victor's friend is lighting the candles for Victor and Amelia, he places the lighter over his arm for the 1st candle then moves around to light the other. We see him light it without his arm under it but in the next shot he is moving the arm out from under the lighter.
Factual error: When Viktor is singing the Krakozhian national anthem, he is singing absolute gibberish, according to my Russian speaking mother.
Continuity mistake: When Viktor buys the Burger king combo, he starts to eat and then he hears the TV news, puts the burger on the plate and stands up, but when he gets to the TV the burger is back again in his hand.
Continuity mistake: In the scene after Victor translates for the Russian, Dixon pushes him against a copier. As the copier is running, Victor's LEFT hand is on the glass, but the copies show a RIGHT hand print.
Other mistake: When Viktor is singing the Krakhozian national anthem his words are absolute gibberish and bear no resemblance to any Eastern European country's language.
Factual error: Among the cabs seen at the airport when Victor exits the terminal are an early 1980s Chevrolet Caprice and a late 1980s Ford LTD Crown Victoria. In 1996 New York City passed a law requiring taxicabs to be less than six years old, therefore neither of those two cars would be in active service in 2004. (01:51:05)
Factual error: When Viktor is talking to Dixon, you can see high-rises out of his window. No such buildings exist around JFK. (00:05:05)
