Factual error: Approximately three quarters of the way in to the film, there is a close up of a German soldier handing an officer a file of documents. The helmet that the soldier is wearing is a post war 1960s version. This can be determined by the lack of an air vent and rivet on the side of the helmet.
Continuity mistake: When Captain Jack Wander is handcuffed to the stairs, in the first shot you can see that the handcuffs aren't all the way clasped. When you see him from a different angle, they are clasped all the way.
Factual error: The globe that April shows to the children is post-1992: Czechoslovakia is divided into the Czech Republic and Slovakia, and Germany is united instead of being divided into Eastern and Western Germany.
Visible crew/equipment: During the chase through the jungle, the hand-held camera operator and stills photographer are visible on the left side of the frame. (01:06:30)
Continuity mistake: Tris tries to seduce Nick at the river by dancing in front of the headlights of his car. He decides to abandon her, and backs the car away. When he cranks the steering wheel clockwise and points the car up river to leave, the camera cuts to a shot of Tris standing by the river, but the headlights are still on her.
Factual error: The only ways Tim/Ben could have died are by heart failure and/or respiratory paralysis. Both of which mean that the toxins reached the heart. If they hadn't, then he would only have had a paralyzed right arm and been in extreme pain. The logic of this movie implies that either his heart was unaffected by the toxins and he still somehow died or his heart was affected by the toxins and they decided to transplant it anyways.
Factual error: In a scene that is twenty-eight minutes into the movie, one of the characters is seen running up to check out a new Cadillac that had been given to him by the owner of Chess Records. A 'super' appears at the bottom of the screen which reads "1952" in order to set the chronological time. Only problem is, the Cadillac is a 1956 model. Any old car buff, particularly one like myself who writes a weekly column for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, would know in a heartbeat that this car was four years ahead of the year indicated on the screen. Bruce Kunz, a.k.a. "The FIN MAN"tm www.thefinman.com. (00:28:20 - 00:29:15)
Other mistake: Bonnie the Rottweiler is referred to several times by her owner Brett as a female, yet it's a male dog.
Audio problem: Right after Det. Corelli finds the limerick in her apartment, she pulls out her gun and there is a distinct sound of what's supposed to be her cocking the hammer on her pistol. However, Det. Corelli (along with all the other cops in the movie) uses a Glock semi-auto pistol, which does not have an external hammer that can be "cocked." The sound is added artificially, likely for dramatic effect. (01:06:30)
Factual error: When Leonardo DiCaprio is arriving on the tarmac at what is supposed to be Abu Dhabi, the main (and very distinctive) Dulles airport terminal is visible in the background.
Factual error: If Billy/Jigsaw's facial muscles and tendons were "completely destroyed" as his doctor indicates, there is no way he would be able to speak normally, and especially not in his original voice.
Factual error: When Einstein is crossing a bridge on his way to the university, two German flags (black-red-gold) are flanking the bridge. The scene is set in 1914, so it should instead be the 'German Reichsflagge' which is black-white-red. Only after WW I, in August 1919, was the black-red-golden flag officially used to represent Germany. (00:38:50)
Factual error: Although correctly addressed as "captain" towards the end of the film, Richthofen continues to wear the rank insignia of an oberleutnant (lieutenant).
Factual error: At the end of the film, Wyatt and McQuarry each take a briefcase containing $5 million dollars. $1 million dollars in $100 dollar bills (highest denomination in circulation) weighs approximately 22lbs = 110lbs for $5 million. $5 million in $100 dollar bills is also approximately 3445 cu. in. in volume. This would not likely fit in the cases they are carrying, and would not be as easy to carry as they are.
Visible crew/equipment: In the opening murder scene watch when the man is stood outside the connecting train car doors, there is a shot from behind, moving in on him, and if you look out of the left window you can see a set of yellow ladders. This is set equipment and the train obviously can't be moving. (00:02:20)
Continuity mistake: When Jessie and Carlos walk to the church ruins, a big bruise on his nose suddenly appears for a couple of seconds, only to disappear briefly after.
Factual error: Jennifer Lawrence uses a Bic lighter that has a child-proof safety device on it. The film is set in 1976. Bic lighters did not have safety devices on them until the 1990's. (00:57:25)
Factual error: When the guerrillas are in the Sierra Maestra, we can hear the Coqui (Eleutherodactylus coqui) singing in the night. However, this small frog is endemic to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, thus not possible to be heard in Cuba.
Continuity mistake: When Samir parks by 128 Randolph, he leaves the vehicle with the drivers side window down, but when the other agents pull up, the window is rolled up.
Factual error: Towards the end of the movie, George W. Bush is seen walking through the Cross Hall of The White House towards what is in reality The East Room. Behind him we see a large staircase with a plant next to it on the other end of the hall. These should not be there: that is where the door to the State Dining Room really is. In the next shot we see W. coming upstairs from a winding staircase that doesn't exist.