Factual error: The volcanic lava in this movie moves incredibly fast in the subway line. This is not only inaccurate, but also ridiculous and unnecessary. Volcanic lava can possibly move faster when in a concealed area that insulates it, but insulated lava cannot move that fast.
Volcano (1997)
Directed by: Mick Jackson
Starring: Tommy Lee Jones, Don Cheadle, Anne Heche, Gaby Hoffmann
Continuity mistake: When the nurse is in her 4x4 vehicle, she looks in her mirror and sees two fire trucks. In the far away shot the first fire engine overtakes her, then when it cuts back to her it's overtaking her again. It's not just repeated for the sake of effect, the radio announcer giving comments of the events is continuous. (00:34:30)
Factual error: In the scene during the evacuation of the Cedar Hospital, Dr Calder is assessing a patient and uses the defibrillator on him. She puts the paddles in the wrong spots on the chest - right hand one over the abdomen and the other over the left lower chest. As a doctor she should know to put the right hand paddle over the upper right chest. This is important for the normal electrical pathway through the heart to reset and restart normal cardiac activity. (01:27:22)
Trivia: The lava was primarily made of methylcellulose, the thickening agent used in fast-food milkshakes, and the ash was made mostly of ground newspaper.
Amy: Sometimes magma can find one of those fissures and rise up through it.
Roark: What's magma?
Rachel: Lava.
Roark: Lava? Right here in L.A?
Amy: It is one of the possibilities.
Roark: We have a history of that here in the downtown area?
Rachel: Paricutin... 1943, a Mexican farmer sees smoke coming out of the middle of his cornfield. A week later there's a volcano a thousand feet high. There's no history of anything until it happens. Then there is.
Roark: We're going to put as many people in front of it as it takes. Listen up, people! Let me tell you what's south of us: no more museums, no more department stores, just homes! People! If we turn and run now, they're going to be defenseless! You don't like my plan? That's good. Give me a another plan, but don't tell me we're backing out.
Kelly Roark: Please, please. You can't just leave me here.
Roark: Kelly, you can not be here and I have to.
Kelly Roark: Why?
Roark: Because it's my responsibility.
Kelly Roark: Well, so am I. Please I promise I won't get in the way.
Question: Does the art museum catch fire from the lava even though they tried to stop it by putting a bus against it?
Question: Near the end, how the heck did Tommy (the child) pass through the kitchen without being noticed by the cooks?
Chosen answer: They were in a rush, trying to get things and get out.
Question: How could Stan and the train driver still be alive in such extreme heat and with lava just underneath them? Shouldn't it destroy their lungs? Shouldn't they get incinerated by the extreme heat of magma?
Answer: Yes, the chances of surviving those circumstances is completely impossible. Not just the heat, but also toxic fumes which will incapacitate you very quickly. At one point the soles of his shoes were melting, at that point you would have been dead. It's a heroic scene, but not very believable.
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Answer: Lava is extremely hot. It heats the air above and around it to such a degree that it can reach the flash point of various items.
Greg Dwyer