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: 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: In the scene in Kono, one of the child soldiers is seen with a Game Boy Advance SP, which was released in 2003, but the movie takes place in the 90's.
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: 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 family passes an exit for Carefree Highway. This is an exit off I-17 a few miles North of Phoenix. At that point they would be about 10 miles from Scottsdale. Yet they drive all day and that night they are still within scooter range from Scottsdale.
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: When the family is beginning their trip, Bob has difficulty putting the RV in gear. We hear gears grinding despite the fact that the vehicle obviously has an automatic transmission (as evidenced by the column shifter). Automatic transmissions do not contain the same type of gearbox as manual transmissions, and it is impossible for an automatic to create a gear-grinding noise. (00:13:30)
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.
Factual error: The slave ship the pirates overtake in the beginning is flying the tricolor flag of modern France, which was not adopted until the revolution in 1789. Blackbeard is set in 1717.
Factual error: In an interview before his first launch attempt, Charles explains that his flight plan is to make exactly one orbit of Earth, returning from orbit directly to the launch point, his farm in Texas. Launching from that latitude would necessarily incline the orbital plane to the equator, and Earth would rotate beneath the spacecraft's groundtrack during the roughly hour and a half period of the orbit. The craft would then land, not at the farm, but several hundred miles to the west.
Factual error: When the new candidates report in to Rescue Swimmer School, one of the airmen is wearing the Silver Star ribbon. The person is too young to have served in another service, and there are no other service's ribbons worn - and the Coast Guard hasn't issued a Silver Star since Vietnam.
Suggested correction: Nobody is wearing medals except for the captain and Randall in the entire scene.
Factual error: General Fury incorrectly uses the DEFCON System. When all of S.H.I.E.L.D's secrets are revealed to the Chitauris, Fury moves to DEFCON 4, which is peacetime with increased intelligence and security. When the threat increases and Chitauri ships are approaching, Fury moves to DEFCON 5, which indicates peacetime. In the DEFCON system, lower numbers indicate higher threats.
Factual error: When the Empress is dressing for the Chrysanthemum festival, bobby pins and hair pins are visible in her hair, not made available until the 20th century.