Factual error: Adam Beck says "Kill the lights, unit one." They just don't shut off a main breaker but they cut the main wires. Then shortly afterwards the lights are back on again. It would have taken an electrician hours to replace the cut wires to the power. (01:44:25)
Factual error: During The "What A Day In London" sequence, William Shakespeare is seen reading his line "to be or not to be" from his play Hamlet. Pocahontas did sail to London in 1616, but Shakespeare died on April 23rd 1616, when Pocahontas arrived on June 12th 1616.
Factual error: When Christian Slater and Minnie Driver are trying to get out of the water before it reaches the transformer, there is a real big problem with this scene. If there really was a flood and it was rising that high, the city should have shut off the electricity to the entire city, to prevent any electric hazards that may happen in that situation.
Factual error: During the plague when the fire and rocks are falling from the sky, they fall behind a statue of Rameses and are seen through its hollow eye holes. It makes for a great image, but that would mean that the statue's eyes were punched out like a mask, even though before they were just carved into the stone.
Factual error: When the Jupiter 2 blasts off, it does so in the most fuel inefficient way possible - flat surface first. The air resistance would be fifty times less if they'd angled it side on. Plus, when the aerodynamic cover blasts away, the Jupiter 2 itself is revealed - and it is more aerodynamic than the cover. Rocket science must have taken a few steps backward lately... .
Factual error: 6 years in a mask and he's able to keep that lovely babyface with just a little bit of grime, which easily comes off? Of course it would have wrecked the whole story but still...
Factual error: When the aircraft crashes on the island, the front of the aircraft strikes the ground which would have bent the propeller. They would have never been able to fly it again with that prop.
Factual error: The chiropractor that Ben Stiller's character visits says "Tender fascial tissue left of L7" as he is treating his back. However there are only 5 Lumbar Vertebra in our back, L7 doesn't exist.
Factual error: At the beginning, when Helen is running for her train, the station signs clearly say Embankment. However the type of train that she misses/catches is specific to the Waterloo & City Line, which only runs between Bank and Waterloo - it doesn't go anywhere near Embankment!
Factual error: In the scene where Hobbes is talking to Reese in his cell, Reese talks to him in a foreign language. It's stated on at least two occasions that Reese is speaking Dutch. He isn't - he's speaking German.
Suggested correction: It's Dutch. "Wie de bal kaatst." Just what Reese said. "What goes around..."
Factual error: Even though Pops is in such bad shape that he needs a heart transplant, he isn't hooked up to any monitors or equipment while in the hospital.
Factual error: The locations mentioned in the film are all over the world, including South Africa and Rotterdam. During the car chase through South Africa, it is very clear that all the locations in this car chase are in Rotterdam. For example, at one point the car drives down stairs through a shopping-mall, this is a well-known landmark in Rotterdam. As a matter of fact it is about 1 kilometer from the bridge used in the finale of the movie.
Factual error: Leonardo da Vinci's painting, the Mona Lisa, was originally painted on wood, impossible for it to have been unrolled after taking it out of the canister. Also, if it hadn't been painted on wood, it would have been painted on canvas, which doesn't stay partially rolled after you take it out of a tube of some kind. It would not have been painted on paper. (00:23:55)
Factual error: Dean Martin always drank apple juice when he was on stage because it looked so much like scotch and water and he had to keep up his reputation of being a heavy drinker who forgets where he is.
Factual error: About 20 minutes in when they are at some ball/dance thing, Shakespeare's talking with a musician holding a lute. You can see fret markers on the fretboard of his lute, but these were not used on instruments until the late 1800's, early 1900's, definitely not in Shakespeare's time. (00:27:20)
Factual error: In the scene when the opposing team's players interrupt the party on the bayou and the knife is pulled, the patches on the sheriff's uniform say County Sheriff. Louisiana has parishes not counties.
Factual error: During the Mars-flight, the way the spacecraft uses the rocket thrusters is unrealistic. For example when they are nearing Mars, they should be using the rockets against their movement, to slow down the speed. But in the movie they are using the rockets towards Mars.
Factual error: When Swayze starts the truck, he turns a key and it starts. The key only switches on the electronics. Peterbuilts have a push button starter switch.
Factual error: Hawke rides the subway twice during the film. Both times Hawke takes the "G" train. Unfortunately the G doesn't go through Manhattan where he is, it only goes through Brooklyn and Queens.
Factual error: During the plane crash scene, the vertical stabilizer snags a hydro line, which rips it off. There is no way that the tail of a commercial jet would be so fragile. It is far more likely that the lines would snap.