Continuity mistake: When Silva's henchmen arrive at Skyfall, the Aston Martin is visible on the left side of the wall around the house. When Silva commands the Aston Martin to be shot at later, it has moved to the right side of the wall around the house without any time to move it. (01:50:45 - 01:57:45)
Factual error: When Bond climbs up from under lift/elevator after hanging under the assassin's lift car he opens adjacent lift/elevator landing doors just by pulling them apart. This is not possible without first disengaging the door lock mechanism, which is operated when car is at that level. If this were possible anyone could push lift/elevator doors open from any level and fall down the shaft. (00:44:20)
Factual error: The Ambulances used in the film in the "M" attack in London are incorrect, as they are not the current vehicles used by London ambulance service. They all now have the patient lifts on the rear. Various vehicle tax discs were out of date too. (01:38:25)
Other mistake: During the chase through the London Underground station, in the shot before Silva jumps onto the escalator, a female extra can be seen looking directly into the camera. (01:31:40)
Continuity mistake: When Bond runs out of the London Underground Station, he is covered in dust. The dust is still there when he runs into the Houses of Parliament and still there when he drives off with M. Yet the dust has disappeared when Bond and M find the Aston Martin. There was no time to clean up the dust since he was driving. (01:36:05 - 01:39:35)
Continuity mistake: After meeting Q, as Bond says, "And youth is no guarantee of innovation", the direction of Bond's head changes between cuts. (00:38:00)
Deliberate mistake: When Bond walks through the tube train he leaves the doors open so the cameraman can follow him. This scene was shot several times to get the front and rear shots. When filming from the front, he closes the doors behind him. (01:30:30)
Continuity mistake: When M goes to see Mallory at the start of the film, he pours her a drink and places the bottle on the table with the label facing the camera. The label is off centre and more to the left - when M leaves the bottle has not been moved and the label is still facing the camera, but the label is now more to the right. (00:17:15)
Factual error: The pursuit scenes along the train tracks leading west from Istanbul show mountains and even trestles and tunnels which do not exist. The true scenery is quite boring. (00:07:15)
Visible crew/equipment: In the Shanghai hotel, Patrice goes into a lift and Bond jumps onto the side of it. Whilst the lift is rising, Patrice looks outside of the lift. The shot cuts to an exterior shot of the lift. When it cuts to the exterior shot, for just the first few frames a camera can be seen attached to the lift, used to film the shots of Bond. (00:43:20)
Continuity mistake: When Bond and Patrice begin fighting on the train, Patrice picks up a piece of chain. This chain was not there in a wide shot shown two shots previously. (00:09:30)
Audio problem: At the casino bar, Bond is talking to Severine. The camera angle switches behind Bond and he says "I'm guessing he was your way out" but his mouth doesn't move. The angle switches to facing Bond and you can see the side of his face move on his next line.
Factual error: When Patrice is going up the elevator in Shanghai, there is a shot of him taking the suppressor off his pistol. But once it's off you can see that the pistol barrel isn't threaded, which means that it couldn't take a suppressor in the first place.
Factual error: On the District line, Temple and Embankment stations do not have two platforms between each train. They actually run side by side, and not with the platforms in between the two trains. (01:28:35)
Continuity mistake: In the museum, Bond is sitting down and Q sits next to him. Note part of Bond's coat goes over the edge of the seat. Where in the next shot, that part of the coat over the edge is now back on the seat. (00:37:05)
Visible crew/equipment: When Q meets Bond, when Q turns his head to Bond, he shakes Bond's hand and says "007." A reflector screen is reflected in his glasses when this happens. (00:38:20)
Factual error: It would be impossible to drive a silver Aston Martin DB5 from London to Scotland without getting splash marks on the side of the vehicle. Especially in view of the fact that the road conditions are wet by the time 007 and M reach the Scottish Highlands, but the car still looks immaculate. (01:41:35)
Continuity mistake: Whilst Bond and Eve are chasing Patrice in the jeep, Eve smashes one of the wing mirrors and she then says, "Wasn't using that one either." After this line, the expression on her face changes between shots. (00:02:45)
Continuity mistake: When Bond leaves the Istanbul hotel, there is an extra visible to left side of the door walking on the sidewalk. The shot cuts and there is suddenly no sign of the extra. (00:02:10)
Visible crew/equipment: After Patrice jumps onto the train, Bond drives off the bridge and lands on the train and begins to fall over the side, then climbs back on. Eve then says "They're on the train." During this shot, you can see the white platform Bond was standing on to climb back onto the train. (00:06:30)
Answer: Silva's objective was not just to kill M - if it was, he could have blown up her office with her in it when he hacked into MI6 the first time. He wanted to humiliate and terrify her by showing he could get to her again and again, whatever measures were put in place to protect her.
Sierra1 ★