Factual error: When performing CPR on Elena, Robert doesn't tilt her head back. As a former firefighter, he would know one of the first steps of CPR is to tilt the victim's head back to clear the airway. His rhythm is also way off.
Suggested correction: Tilting the head back to clear the airway isn't practised any more, due to exacerbating possible neck/spinal injuries. Instead, one would do a chin lift to clear the airway. But alas, he didn't do that either.
Paramedic here. The head tilt-chin lift is absolutely still practised today and is definitely our go to manoeuvre for CPR. You're thinking of the jaw thrust manoeuvre where we do it when we suspect spinal injury, which Elena did not have.
Former Volunteer First Responder and Ambulance driver part-time but also volunteer here. It actually depends on the SOP of the company in which you serve. Liability purpose has us practising caution in otherwise duty-to-act scenarios. While you are always to remain either Red Cross or American Heart certified in CPR, ALS guidelines and SOPs still govern the practice in which you are performing and can be effected by the decisions of your local Medical Director, but I digress.
Factual error: The poem Isolde recites, John Donne's "The Good-Morrow", is a 17th-century work, which is centuries later than the movie's time period.
Factual error: Dexter the capuchin is in the African mammal display. Capuchins come from South America.
Factual error: In the scenes at Miami Airport, you see numerous CSA planes (Czech Airlines). Czech Airlines offer no direct flights to Miami. However, Prague Airport, where this scene was shot, is full of CSA planes. (00:44:50)
Factual error: Take a look at Google Earth - the section of the Golden Gate Bridge Magneto breaks off (about a mile - tower to tower plus a section each end) isn't anywhere near long enough to reach Alcatraz from anywhere on the mainland.
Factual error: In the beginning of the movie William supposedly boards the train in Lincoln, Nebraska. All the vehicles in the train are from Europe and never rolled in the United States. (00:03:35)
Factual error: As the two fast boats start heading up river towards the finale shootout, one boat has its navigation lights reversed. It has a red light on the starboard/right side, and a green light on the port/left side. It should be the other way around. (The lights on the other boat are correct.)
Factual error: During the big sacrifice scene an eclipse happens. An eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the earth and the sun. Later, apparently that night, the night mood is set by a shot of a full moon. The moon cannot be full until fourteen days after an eclipse, when it is directly opposite the sun.
Factual error: When Tom Cruise is going to defibrillate Keri Russell to disarm the bomb in her head, no defibrillator takes 30 seconds to charge to 150 joules. Most go to 360 joules and if they are not charged in 10 seconds the batteries are depleted enough that they won't charge at all.
Factual error: One of the subplots involves a young boy ("Tommy") who is bitten by a cobra and the attempts to save his life. When they are working on his arm, it is horribly swollen & filled with fluid which they drain by cutting open his arm. Cobras secrete a neurotoxic venom which attacks the nervous system. It would not cause noticeable swelling at the bite site. The symptoms Tommy has would indicate a bite from a snake which secretes a hemotoxic venom (such as a rattlesnake), which attacks the blood stream & tissues, causing swelling.
Factual error: When the Bronco is underwater at the end of the movie, Claire's hands are tied to the steering wheel. Doug rips the steering wheel off. Anyone who has worked on cars knows you need a puller to get a steering wheel off, you can't just rip it by hand.
Factual error: In at least one scene, near the end of the film, metallic alloy dental fillings can be seen inside King Leonidas' mouth. Fillings of this type were not used until the 7th century A.D.
Factual error: The helmsmen on the ships always spin the wheel in the direction that they wish to turn. However, in the days of sail the wheel had to be spun in the opposite direction from the direction of turn. (01:56:00)
Factual error: The race held at Texas Motor Speedway has signs showing that it is the Dickies 500. That race is held in November and ends after dark. The race is finished in the daylight.
Factual error: When Hope is driving the pickup in the car chase, she yanks the parking brake, causing a tank of propane to fly out the tailgate and into the car that is chasing her. This is completely impossible. The tank would have slid in the other direction (forward) and slammed into the back of the cab when she slowed down. (00:38:10)
Factual error: When the Marines strip off and run into the sea in the final scene, Doc takes off a pair of white socks that would be more appropriate for a final at Wimbledon. Not only are they white rather than khaki, they are virtually spotlessly clean which would be impossible after a week of fighting on the black sands of Iwo Jima.
Factual error: The movie is supposed to be set in South Carolina and shows license plates on the front of cars. But cars in South Carolina don't have license plates on the front.
Factual error: When Smithers (not identified by name in the movie) gives Alex his kit, it includes a fountain pen which shoots a dart filled with Sodium Pentathal. That's supposed to cause a person to do what Alex says. Sodium Pentathal is a form of barbiturate. Barbiturates cause impaired coordination, therefore it's unlikely that Mr. Grin could have flown a helicopter under its effects.
Factual error: About 11 minutes into the film, Luthor's yacht is seen in heavy seas in the Arctic. The helo on the helo deck has its rotor blades extended. This would cause immediate damage to them so is never done, even on carriers - the helicopter wouldn't be able to fly properly. (00:11:20)
Factual error: When Liz and Abe's plane crashes, it sinks far too quickly to be realistic. Also, from the sheer amount of force the plane hit the water with, both should easily have died. Obviously done for dramatic effect, but still a mistake.