Continuity mistake: Just before the diner scene, where the two aliens are discussing the galaxy, we see the outside of the Russian restaurant. The neon sign says "haroshaya" meaning "good" all the way across the window, in the next shot inside the restaurant, the "ha", which looks like the English letters "xo", is gone and the sign is centered. (00:41:00)
Continuity mistake: When the truck gets smashed at the start, the tree beside the truck is well alight, but when the man comes out of the house, it is only a little alight. (00:12:40)
Revealing mistake: When Beatrice turns the sugar bowl over to dump the sugar into the glass, a barcode label and handwritten prop inventory number with the name 'Sony' can be seen on the bottom of the bowl. The film was made at Sony Pictures Studios. (00:15:15)
Visible crew/equipment: When Tommy Lee Jones shakes the dog asking him about the galaxy, right before they exit the car, you can see the cameraman's reflection in the shiny black door frame. (01:06:30)
Factual error: When Tommy Lee Jones is looking at his wife on the computer, he had typed in Truro (in Cape Cod, Mass.), but when he zoomed in, it was on the lower cape; Truro is located on the upper cape near the tip. (00:58:40)
Revealing mistake: There is a scene where Agent J is standing on a car and shoots the "Noisy Cricket" at the fleeing Edgar. The camera shot is from inside the car and just before Agent J crashes through the windshield, you see a precut area in the glass. (01:01:25)
Continuity mistake: When the cat in on the table in the diner, the word "ORION" on the cat's collar is in normal capitalized block lettering. But when the cat is on the table in the morgue, the word "ORION" is in calligraphy. Also, the colour of the cat's collar seems to change between these two points. (00:42:40 - 01:08:15)
Continuity mistake: When Will Smith and the other recruits are taking their written tests, the white table first appears to be situated between the second and third men from the left. When Smith goes to the table to pull it across the room, it is much further to the right of the scene. (00:24:25 - 00:26:35)
Continuity mistake: When Zed sends Kay and Jay out on Kay's first mission, Reggie's unauthorised departure from Manhattan, Tommy Lee Jones legs cross and uncross from shot to shot. (00:39:25)
Continuity mistake: When Edgar/The Bug is drinking water with sugar, the way he holds the glass changes between shots. (00:15:21)
Continuity mistake: Before Kay erases the memories of the border patrol cops, he holds the neuralizer with his left hand while adjusting its knobs with his right hand. In the next shot, he's holding the neuralizer with his right hand.
Visible crew/equipment: When J is going to use the neuralyzer on K, on J's lenses you can notice that K has been replaced with a white screen used for lighting.
Continuity mistake: The Bug pulls his new "Edgar Suit" skin back tight over his face and the wife faints. In the wide shot, he is still holding it back, but the head is completely normal. (00:15:30)
Continuity mistake: In the jewelry store, when J chases the farmer, the boots behind him swap from standing to fallen between frames. (01:03:35)
Continuity mistake: After doing his recruitment test, Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones are sitting down on a bench and talking. The distance between them decreases between the first and second shot. (00:31:20)
Answer: The MIB - or K specifically - had already erased the memories of all the police that were involved to cover up the alien sighting. It stands to reason therefore that theyd already have a cover story in place - that is the report that the captain is reading, and for which he congratualtes J.
roboc