Back to the Future Part III (1990) - 48 mistakes

Deliberate "mistake": During the train sequence at the end of the film in 1885, it is blatantly obvious that the train is not going the speed that the DeLorean's speedometer is showing. In some shots, the train looks as though it is going little more than 20mph.

Continuity: Watch the scene with the Indians (just as Marty sticks the DeLorean into reverse) and see the differences of how close and far the Indians are from the DeLorean.

Continuity: When Marty returns to 1985, he goes to his house and gets in his Toyota pick-up. Look closely behind his head when he first gets in the truck, there is no driver-side head rest. But when he picks up Jennifer, when they pull up to the stop sign the head rest is there.

Factual error: At the end of the train scene just before Marty travels to 1985, the train busts through a road block warning that there's only 1/4 mile of track left before the ravine. Keep in mind that the train is travelling at approximately 70-80 mph by this time. At 70 mph (and not even accelerating) it would only take the train 13 seconds to reach the ravine. The actual time in the movie is at least a minute.

Continuity: When the DeLorean is being pulled by horses, the clouds in the sky change in the next shot.

Revealing: At the end, when the train destroys the time machine, right at the moment when it hits (freeze-frame recommended), you can see a small explosion, which was used to trigger the destruction of the time machine.

Continuity: When Marty goes back from 1955 to 1885 and meets the Indians, note that none of the Indians shoots any arrows nor do any arrow hit the car. You can see that when he drives the car back into the cave. But when he gets back to the cave after the Calvary ride, a long arrow sticks out on the side of the car.

Factual error: In 1885 when Maggie McFly asks Seamus for a word, they walk into the other room and behind them are a few garments hung on pegs on wire hangers. The wire hanger was invented by Albert J. Parkhouse in 1903, eighteen years later.

Continuity: When Doc's about to send Marty back to 1885 from 1955, and Marty's dressed up...when Doc's walking back and forth loading up the car - look at the shadow from the building. You see it changes by several feet in a few seconds as the scene was obviously shot throughout the day.

Continuity: When Marty arrives in 1885 and runs into the Indians, he comes to a slow rolling stop. But the digital speedometer on the dashboard shows that he is still traveling about 70 miles per hour.

Continuity: When Clara first sees the train and starts after it on horseback, it is on her right side. She is at the top of a hill and starts down after the train. In the next shot shown from the front of the train you see the horse appear so the train is on Clara's left.

Continuity: When the train is coming and is about to run over the DeLorean, the shadow of the train on the wall shows that it is only the locomotive. When the camera changes view, it is a train with freight carriages.

Factual error: What are Great Plains Indians doing in California?

Continuity: When Doc drinks the 'wake up juice', he runs out and puts his head in the horse trough full of water. However, after a shot to Mad Dog Tannen, his shirt is mysteriously dry again.

Revealing: At the very end of this film, Doc appears in his locomotive time machine. In every shot the plate which says 'ELB' changes color. From red to orange. You would say this is a change in light angle, but when the locomotive rises and turns, you can see every angle of this plate and in every angle this plate is red.

Continuity: When Marty is about to go back to 1885, he starts driving and you see him pass the building: then when it shows the car's tires, you can see he passes by the same building again.

Continuity: When Doc and Marty first see each other in 1885, just before they hug, Doc puts his hand on Marty's shoulder, in the next shot it's on his arm.

Deliberate "mistake": When Marty is being chased by the Indians, a wide shot with the DeLorean at the bottom of the screen coming towards us and the Indians following reveals the entire background for a mile or two. However, there are no cavalry visible anywhere despite the fact that they pass over the cave in the following shot only five seconds after the last Indian does.

Revealing: During the sequence with the Native Americans chasing the Delorean in the beginning, in one shot looking up at the sky you can see contrails from a plane, obviously not around in 1885.

Continuity: When Mad Dog is hanging Marty outside the new courthouse, Doc takes aim stood in bright sunlight (when the camera is behind him), but immediately after shooting him down we see Doc from the front, stood in a large shadow.