Character mistake: When Big Nick and his team are first discussing the theft of the armored truck early in the film, Nick is eating and turns to one of his partners and asks for him to give him the "Pepto", or pepto bismol. You can see in this shot the bottle of pepto bismol is already sitting on the desk next to the guy, but then the guy opens the drawer and mimes the movements acting like he's pulling it out and setting the bottle on the desk. (00:23:25)
Other mistake: Why did Merrimen have to show Donnie how to use a M4? Earlier in the movie it was stated that Donnie was in the Marines for a short time.
Continuity mistake: As they hold up the van, they drill, then pull the windscreen out. When leaving the windscreen is back in. (00:05:35)
Other mistake: In the ending shoot out, Gerald Butler looks over cars with his rifle and the magazine is missing in one of the shots.
Continuity mistake: When Nick (Gerard Butler) enters the Pico Rivera Bank in pursuit of Merrimen and his team, he's wearing a black tactical vest that has no markings on either front or back. Nick and his team leave the bank and head toward federal reserve where they pick up Donnie and move to intercept Merrimen at the salvage yard. Once Nick gets out of the truck for the shootout, he now has a Sheriff patch on both the front and back of his black vest.
Plot hole: One of the bank robbers, a former soldier, Ray Merrimen just got paroled 8 months ago for a previous felony. This film takes place in California. Convicted felons are prohibited by law from touching or owning firearms. Merrimen is at a public shooting-range with CCTV shooting his firearm. The police officer tracking him since he's a suspect in a new string of former and recent holdups walks into the shooting-range and they just stare at each other. He could've been busted and sent back. (01:03:45 - 01:06:00)
Continuity mistake: When they pull the glass windshield out of the armored car in the beginning it rips the rear view mirror off, but as they drive through the tunnel it is back on.
Factual error: O'Brien ask the uniformed officers to "push back the perimeter" because it's too small. When a crime scene perimeter is established you can always shrink but never enlarge a perimeter because everything outside of it has all ready contaminated by other people, officers, press, etc. (00:18:45)
Revealing mistake: During the big shootout on the freeway at the end of the movie, there is a camera pan over all the cars stopped in traffic. There are no people in any of the cars. The shot is so high that you would still be able to see people crouched down if that was the case. (01:56:47)
Factual error: There is no Federal Reserve Bank in Los Angeles.
Other mistake: At the gun range, Merrimen is shooting very rapidly, heard by Nick and seen by us at times. Two problems with the scene - Merrimen fires in 6 clusters - 5 shots, then 9, 8, 8, 8, and 9 again. But he reloads between each cluster, and we see his slide lock back after the 8th shot at times, so how's he getting 9 rounds off sometimes? Plus we see the target he was shooting, with a close group dead center, but there aren't 47 bullet holes, nor larger holes where two bullets hit close together.
Factual error: When discussing the set up for the Federal Reserve Bank heist, Merriman states that this federal reserve branch destroys on average $30 million each day in worn $100 bills by shredding. If that were true, this branch alone would destroy about $7.5 billion in $100 bills each year. The Fed Reserve system consists of 25 branches, and according to its data they only replace a bit over $1 billion per year in worn $100 bills. If that was divided between all 25 branches, that would be only $40 million in $100 bills each year at each branch, not the $30 million per day that Merriman quotes. (01:30:00)
Other mistake: When they are back in the office after leaving the crime scene, Big Nick asks when was the last time "Merrimen" paroled, and they tell him 8 months. Then he asks what about that Wilson kid (Donnie) we put a tail that was hanging out with "Merrimen." I thought he didn't know Merrimen was out?
Plot hole: The whole timing in the count room at the Reserve scene is off. If he allegedly stole $30 million there's no way he could've done it in those few minutes. (01:36:00 - 01:41:00)
Continuity mistake: At the beginning armored truck scene. Marcus blows the armored car with shape charges. After the doors pop Marcus' shotgun is flashed with a drum style magazine. However, when Marcus squares off in the next scene with police he has a mag style.
Visible crew/equipment: As the crew is leaving the salvage yard where the garbage trunk went, they are in a black SUV. In the shot of them leaving there is a close up of the corner of the bumper, and in it you can see the film crew and director's chair reflected in the bumper. And as they are pulling away it appears the film crew is also reflected in the tail gate of the SUV. (02:00:25)
Continuity mistake: When Big Nick kidnaps Donnie and they are questioning him at the motel, he sits in a chair and Big Nick walks past him setting a bottle of whiskey on the table next to Donnie. It's visible there most of the time, but after Big Nick slaps Donnie and says don't be a smart ass, in the next shot from behind the bottle disappears. (00:29:45)
Continuity mistake: After Ray asks Bosco where did Marcus take the rounds and then he responds, Bosco walks up to a table and throws down his gloves. It cuts back to Ray for a second then shows a shot of Enson saying "we knew the risks" In that shot Bosco is walking up to the table and throws his gloves down again. (00:08:35)
Continuity mistake: After the first shoot out, the thieves take the armored truck and drive off. The black sedan they have with them is driven behind them and is shot up pretty bad. As they exit the parking lot of the donuts shop, the red covers on the tail lights are missing/falling off. But both tail lights are seen on. A few shots later it's driving behind the truck and now it's left tail light is out with only the right one on. Then as a shot from in front of the truck pans past them the car drives by and you can see it's left tail light is not only on, but intact and has the red cover on it once more. Yet then as the car is pulling into the garage of the hide out, both tail lights are now shot out. (00:06:05 - 00:07:15)
Continuity mistake: At the start of the film, we see an armored truck driving around and as it's driving towards the screen on a street, there is no rain. It cuts to the a view from behind the drivers and still no rain, and the wipers aren't moving. It then cuts to two guys in the back for a couple seconds, then to an outside view again of the truck driving towards the camera on the same street but a little further along, and now it's raining and the windshield wipers are moving. (00:01:40)
Suggested correction: Only Big Nick and the other cops knew Donnie had served. They had his records pulled up. Donnie never told the other crew so he could look inexperienced enough to not run the whole show. It made it easier to double cross both sides later. Donnie played the fool to get the upper hand.
50 cent told Merrimen "he was a marine for a minute" also Donnie has an Eagle, Globe and Anchor tattoo (Marine Corps).