Factual error: When Carter is meeting with Clive in a diner car park, as Clive is escaping in a car with a trunk full of C4, Carter starts shooting at the car. It eventually blows up leaving Clive badly injured. The explosion is caused by Carter's bullets reacting with the C4. However, C4 is inert and if a bullet hit it, it wouldn't create an explosion. You could also argue that this explosion was caused by Carter shooting Clive's gas tank, but this is another myth created by Hollywood to please audiences.
Factual error: In order to incapacitate the Fimples, the Commandos fire sleeping pills into their drink via a mouse trap converted into a catapult. But in every spring- or torsion-powered one-armed catapult, a horizontal bar is required which stops the arm as it swings forward, or otherwise the load would be smashed into the ground in front of the weapon.
Factual error: A computer screen is used to show that a matching record was found for the fingerprint of one of the terrorists. But the two prints shown are identical, meaning they are the same print, shown twice. In reality, a matching print would show the same patterns of skin texture, but the ink pattern, record quality, angle of the finger to the paper, would all vary. You can't make the exact same finger print twice. It's similar to you signature - it's always extremely similar, but never precisely the same. (00:31:40)
Factual error: When Ratcher's F16 has a system failure, he reports that both his engines are out, but F16s are single engine aircraft.
Factual error: Peter McCabe escapes the operating room partly by turning his oxygen supply into a flamethrower. 100% oxygen makes everything extremely flammable, but it cannot be lit like a flamethrower.
Factual error: The sound effect used for Mr. Kogan's Desert Eagle for the shootout in the Chinatown kitchen is WAY too quiet. It almost sounds like a silenced pistol. Any gun buff knows how loud these hand cannons really are.
Factual error: The machine guns supposedly have a "1,000 round capacity", but the size of the clips used in the guns are obviously nowhere big enough to hold 1,000 rounds.
Factual error: Whistler uses a Heckler and Koch MP5SD3 to mow down several familiars at the vampire library archives, but the muzzle flash is impossibly large and bright for a suppressed weapon.
Factual error: When New Island's reflection is in a window on Giovanni's helicopter, it is not reversed. (00:15:19)
Factual error: Sunlight during the day and moonlight during the night illuminate the planet even though there is no visible sun or moon. If either were outside the Briar Patch the light would not be able to pass through the gas of the nebula.
Factual error: Windshields do not completely shatter like in the ambulance scene. They are laminated glass.
Factual error: When Lee is attempting to take out Serb/Croat mobile SAM launchers, he opts to fire Sidewinder missiles. The Sidewinder is an infra-red homing air to air missile that requires a heat source to lock onto. Knowing that there was the possibility of SAMs at the target area, his aircraft should have had a HARM loadout. The HARM locks on to the radar guidance system of a SAM launcher, and remembers where it is, even if it is then shut down.
Factual error: When the command module, with the engine shut down, is in earth or lunar orbit or in trans lunar coast (external shot), you hear a rumbling sound. It's in a non powered coast, so there shouldn't be any engine noise.
Factual error: The brothers are in a hotel room. Joe Newton is seen counting money using a "Baby Calculator." This particular calculator was manufactured by the Calculator Machine Company of Chicago, starting in 1939. The Newton gang's crime spree was from 1919 up until 1924 when they robbed the train outside of Chicago, so he was using a calculator that didn't exist yet. (00:30:30)
Factual error: The plot revolves on finding a matching organ compatible with Nora. Practically the only issue presented about it is the blood type compatibility, so let's go by that logic. In a misconception happening in so many works of fiction, the fact that she is an AB - is listed as a terrible problem because of how rare it is. It is indeed the rarest blood type in most parts of the world, but it's also the universal receiver and compatible with every other group.
Factual error: The Pearl Air airplane has US registration. Yet it is supposed to be a charter airplane in Australia.
Suggested correction: The bullets being fired are .223 rounds, easily allowing for a 1000 round magazine.
Nope. Physically impossible.