Factual error: In the scene when Will is opening the drawer of films from the Leeds home, there is clearly a copy of Mrs. Doubtfire in the left column of tapes. How can that be? Red Dragon is clearly set "several years" after 1980, as the caption says, but before the 1991 Silence of the Lambs, but "Mrs. Doubtfire" came out in 1993.
Factual error: A force of Russian Tu-22 Backfire bombers attacks the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN-74) by sneaking in under the ship's radar. This is all well and good except that carriers usually don't use their own radar, they have Airborne Early Warning aircraft (E-2 Hawkeye's) that can see much further and not give away the carrier's position (let alone the F-14s which would be patrolling too) not to mention the fleet of destroyers other ships guarding the carrier. The whole point is, the US Navy practiced and planned for such a "carrier versus Backfire" battle for years. I guess in the interest of furthering the plot Hollywood has to ignore the immense measures the USN takes to protect those multi-billion dollar assets, not to mention the 5000+ sailors that man them.
Factual error: Tom Hanks is driving his car over a bridge in downtown Chicago in 1931. In the background is the elevated train structure. An aluminum bodied train passes on the trestel in the background. This aluminum bodied train is of 1980's contruction. In the 1930's the train cars were of wood construction and painted brown. They were still in service in the 1950's.
Factual error: On the plane, while being escorted by FBI agents, Frank Jr sees New York's LaGuardia Airport and says, "There it is, LaGuardia Airport, runway 44." A runway numbered 44 is impossible. No runway can be numbered over 36 because there are 360 degrees in a circle. (01:58:25)
Factual error: The movie is set in 1944, when there were only 48 states, yet we see many American flags with 50 stars, then 48, then back to 50 throughout the film.
Factual error: In a scene set in 1862 or 1863 Bill the Butcher says: 'An Irishman will do for a nickel what a ****** will do for a dime or a white man for a quarter'. The first nickel 5 cent piece was coined in 1866. At the time of the scene the 5 cent coin was a small silver coin called a half-dime. (01:10:00)
Factual error: In the scene where Roxie is placed in the "paddy wagon" to be taken to Cook County Jail, the prosecutor refers to himself as District Attorney Harrison. However, the court system in Illinois doesn't have district attorneys; rather, they have state's attorneys. The original play by Maureen Watkins correctly calls him a state's attorney.
Factual error: At the art exhibition, Eleanor wears a plastic name badge which looks rather modern for this period. (00:36:15)
Factual error: As the 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry lifts off from LZ X-Ray at the end of the battle, it can be seen that there are no more American troops left at the battlefield. However, by the time 1/7 CAV left LZ X-Ray, it had been relieved by two full battalions (2/7 CAV and 1/5 CAV). There were around 700 American soldiers occupying LZ X-Ray by the time 1/7 CAV lifted off.
Factual error: When May cuts her eye out with the scissors at the end of the movie, the fake eyeball used for the effect is perfectly round. A human eyeball is far from being perfectly round.
Factual error: In the scene of the concert, Simone is a hologram but the microphone is real, as it is set up in the previous scene with Viktor and crew going over details, but one shot shows Simone holding and singing into the microphone, which is impossible for a hologram to pick up. (01:03:40)
Factual error: Many shots of the submarine in drydock show Halifax, Nova Scotia's MacKay and MacDonald bridges in the background.
Factual error: The rifles the British soldiers carried in the film were Lee Enfield rifle No. 4's, these did not go into production until WW2. They should have been using an earlier version of the Lee Enfield rifle.
Factual error: When Sam Jackson removes the lug nuts from Ben Affleck's Mercedes, Ben's character continues to drive before the wheel comes off. All Mercedes models use wheel lug bolts and once removed, the wheel immediately falls of the hub. (01:00:15)
Factual error: When the donor is wheeled in for surgery to harvest her organs there are no signs of life support, no tubes, no IV, not resporator. A donor must be kept "alive" by life support or the organs will die.
Factual error: In the final inning of the district championship game, the Owls are ahead by one run and there are two outs when the opposing team's top hitter steps up to the plate. This is impossible because this batter was the final out in the previous inning when his team came to bat. That he bats at all in the final inning with two outs means his team would have batted around the order and scored at least 3 runs in that inning already and had the lead.
Factual error: The whole movie shows methamphetamine constricting their pupils. Methamphetamine is a central nervous system stimulant which dilates the pupils - the exact opposite of what is shown.
Factual error: Otisville Prison was not in the direction Monty's father was driving. He said he would take the Henry Hudson Parkway north and later continue on the Taconic Parkway. The Taconic runs due north toward Massachusetts on the east side of the Hudson River. Otisville is 30 miles west of the Hudson.
Factual error: The imprisoned Count is crawling through a tunnel with his neighbour prisoner leading the way. His neighbour prisoner has a lit candle showing the way, but when he breathes out, the candle goes out but the 'light' remains. You can clearly see smoke rising from the candle before the scene cuts away. (00:43:25)
Factual error: An old man appears with children following him. This is supposed to be pedagogue Janusz Korczak. It appeared as if he was just wearing a suit and a Jewish arm band. In the Warsaw Ghetto, Mr. Korczak never wore an arm band and wore his WWI Polish Army Uniform, both as acts of defiance. He was beaten and almost put to death (he had connections) for not wearing an arm band so having one on in the movie is inaccurate.