National Treasure (2004) - 80 mistakes

Continuity: When Abigail runs down the aisle trying to find a hiding place from Shaw and Viktor, she jumps over a small space between some meat display coolers. In that shot the "butcher lady" can be seen behind a large roll of brown paper to the right of the scene. To the left of the space, behind a roll of white paper, is a second butcher. This second butcher is right next to where Abigail lands and is sitting when the first butcher lady says: "If you're not a steak, you don't belong here." But there is no one near Abigail when the camera show her sitting there, talking to the butcher lady.

Continuity: When Riley and Abigail are running through the tunnel, trying to get away from Shaw and Viktor, we see Riley running into people and getting knocked around and held up. We see a lady in a red suit go by and then there are two men in suits, the one closest to the camera has a medium brown suit on, over the collar salt and pepper hair and glasses whilst the man farthest from the camera has a medium gray/blue suit on and very short brown hair. The next shot shows Riley trying to go between these two men only now, the one nearest the camera has a very dark charcoal suit on, short white hair and no glasses whilst the other man is wearing a black suit, has greyish brown hair and is much older than before.

Factual error: The National Archives room with the Declaration of Independence is actually darker than portrayed in the movie. The lack of light is for the protection of the documents, so that the writing doesn't fade away.

Continuity: When Ben is first confronted at his father's car by the FBI, you can see Chase and Riley in the background standing there and then turning around and leaving. Then as they arrest Ben against the car, you can see Chase and Riley just turning the corner, noticing Ben being arrested, and leaving.

Factual error: On the back of the Declaration of Independence when the Masonic square and compass are revealed, there is a "G" in the center. This "G" was not used until the period of the Civil War. Confederate Masons refused to use the "G" as they considered it a Yankee trick. Even today the Grand Lodge of England does not use the "G." For these reasons it would be unlikely that the Masonic symbol displayed on the Declaration would have included a "G."

Continuity: Near the beginning of the movie when Ben, Ian and Riley are in snow CATS and we see Riley's computer screen, viewed a little from the left, and there is a jiggling hula dancer, supposedly mounted on his keyboard surface. In the background, a window has popped up showing the location and route of the two CATS. Then we hear alarm go off and we see almost the same shot but a little closer in on the computer screen. The hula girl is missing. The difference in angle and "zoom level" could not account for not seeing the hula girl in the second shot.

Continuity: When Ben is taking the screws out of the case that holds the Declaration of Independence, the first screw we see him removing is the one in the little "compartment" with an extra little rod across. There are three little compartments with this extra rod across and he is removing the screw from the left-most compartment. Next we see him removing the screw from the compartment just to the left of the previous compartment, but that screw is now back in place. The next time we see him removing a screw, it is again, one compartment to the left and again, the compartment to the right, the one he just removed the screw from, is back in place.

Continuity: As Viktor is driving the catering van while Abigail is still in the back, we see the windshield get cracked near the bottom left. It gets hit by at least two more things but the next time we see a full shot of the windshield, it is perfect.

Continuity: When Riley is sitting in the car waiting for Ben, the window is gone and shards of glass can be seen in the window frame, but there has been no shooting yet. Later, the window is back and then it gets hit by a bullet and shatters.

Other: When Ben, Riley, Ian and Shaun are on the Charlotte after Ben rolls the pipe with his blood on it in the notebook, somehow, the start of the clue is at the top of the notebook and it ends at the right place. How did Ben start rolling at exactly the right point on the pipe?

Factual error: Early in the movie, Charles Carroll, identified as the last survivor of the 56 patriots who signed the Declaration of Independence, is portrayed as a Freemason. Charles Carroll of Maryland was not a member of the Fraternity.

Revealing: When Ben, Abigail, and Riley are fleeing the National Archives, the window on the driver's side has been shattered by a gunshot. Although they are driving at high speeds, no wind seems to be entering the van to mess up their hair.

Continuity: Right after the scene where the FBI break into Ben's apartment, Ian is puzzling over the clue from the Charlotte. He circles the phrase "in silence" but when he holds the notepad up to his friends, only the word "silence" is circled.

Continuity: At the Charlotte down in the cargo hold when Ben has just figured out that the riddle refers to the Declaration of Independence, Ian's stocking hat keeps changing between scenes. He's got a two-toned hat with a jagged edge between the two colors. Sometimes, the edge is turned up so far you can't even see this design. At other times, the edge is barely turned up and crooked and the jagged edge between the colors is very prominent.

Continuity: When Ben is trying to grab Abigail from Ian's vehicle, we see a bus coming. There is a car on the right side of the bus (Riley's left side) in that shot. We then see Viktor stepping on the brake and Riley start pulling to the left of the bus; when Riley swing around to that side to miss the bus, the car has disappeared.

Continuity: The Declaration of Independence in the clear plastic cover keeps changing colors from brown to white and back. When Ben puts it in the very first time while in the elevator, it is brown. When Ian gets the case out of the street after Abigail loses it, it is white. It is back to brown in the church.

Continuity: This concerns National Treasure 1 and 2. In the first film, when Ben's grandfather tells Ben the story about the clue given to Thomas Gates, he says he was the grandfather's grandfather's, grandfather - Ben's Great, great, great, great grandfather. In the film, in 1832, he appears very young, maybe early 20s. But in the second film Thomas Gates, Ben's Great, great grandfather, appears to be 40-50 in 1865. A young man in 1832 can't have a middle aged grandson in 1865.

Factual error: When Ben and Abigale and Reilly separate at Independence park Abigale and Reilly could not possibly have exited the park and run right into the Reading Terminal Market. Independence park (where the liberty bell is housed) is between 5th and 7th and Walnut Streets, and Reading Terminal Market (where Abigale hides from the bald man) is at 12th and Arch street. At least 15 blocks apart.

Continuity: As Ian watches our heroes leave Independence Hall the clock in the tower reads 3:27. That gave Ben only five minutes to climb down the tower, dig out the brick, meet up downstairs, unroll the Declaration and decipher it, realize they're being followed, plan their escape and leave. It took me longer to write all of that.

Factual error: When Ben meets Abigail for the first time in her office, he admires her collection of Washington's campaign buttons. In fact, there is no such thing as a Washington campaign button, since presidential campaigns (as we know them today, with a candidate declaring the desire to be president and actively promoting himself or herself) did not come into existence until the mid-1800's. Washington never "ran" for president. In fact, at the time it would have been considered very un-gentlemanly and arrogant to publicly express your interest in the office. There were however buttons made to commemorate his inauguration and his presidency itself (saying "Long Live the President", etc., but nothing like those seen in the film), and these are, indeed, collector's items.