Factual error: The movie is set around 1995. But the SWAT team in the movie is wearing gear from the 2000s. (MICH-2000 helmet, modular tactical vest, M4 variant with picatinny rails and scope). Plus, in a scene when the guys are shopping for a taser (gun shop scene), some of the rifles on display are from 2000s era. AR-15 variants with variant stock, foregrip and picatinny rail. Those style of weapon system were unheard of in early 90s. Even Special Forces just adopted it by the late 90s.
Factual error: When Ron and Freddie have breakfast in the diner, Trivial Pursuit cards are seen on the table. The game was first sold in 1982, but the movie is set in 1980.
Factual error: When Jordan tries to escape with his daughter in the Mercedes, he pulls the parking brake with his hand (a hand-type parking brake) to stop the car, but that car (Mercedes Benz SL Class R129) is only available with a foot-type parking brake, making his action impossible. (02:43:35)
Factual error: In the scene where the young Helen Goff is traveling by train with her family, it's obvious that an American engine and coaches have been used, instead of a Queensland Rail locomotive of the era. None of the QR locomotives had flared smokestacks like on the one seen in the movie. The coaches are also incorrect - as far as I know, none of the Queensland Rail wood coaches had clerestory roofs with a set of windows in them like seen in the movie. When Helen looks out the back of the train, it's also obvious that the tracks are spaced at 'standard gauge' (4' 8.5"). They should be closer together, as railways in Queensland are built to 3'6" gauge instead. There is also no such company as the 'Queensland Victoria Railway Co', as marked on the coaches, as all railways in Australia are state owned.
Factual error: When they are in Costco there is music playing in the store. Costco does not play music in their stores.
Factual error: In the scene where Kevin is floating, eating a banana just before he is converted in a monster, the water begins to spin in a clockwise direction, but Kevin spins in the opposite direction. He should spin in the same direction as the water. (01:02:45)
Factual error: In the scene where they are heading towards the Aria hotel to check for hotel rooms, they walk past the volcano at the Mirage. They are walking in the opposite direction (away from) the Aria hotel.
Factual error: Chow is carrying around $21 million in gold bullion. A bar weighs 400 ounces. Gold prices at that time were around $1,200 per ounce, and he's got two bags, therefore he's supposedly carrying 8,750 troy ounces, or about 600lb/270kg, on each arm. (00:46:20)
Suggested correction: Chow was carrying half the gold and bars were easy to carry in bags weighing 250 lbs each bag and had the rest elsewhere.and together he had 5 bags total at end so 1250 lbs x 16 oz is 20,000.oz so 1250 bucks per oz. X 20,000 equals 25 million and chow had more strength due to all drugs in his system made him stronger and pain free.
Even if he only had 2/5 bags and the 5 bags total weighed 600lb / 270kg, that still means one bag would weigh about 108kg / 240lb, which is too much for an average person to carry one handed, drugged-up or not.
Factual error: The rifles that the settlers are seen using are percussion cap rifles. These rifles weren't manufactured until after 1807.
Factual error: At the end, Josh and Nat both run onto the Eurostar platform when they do not have a train ticket - this would be impossible, since there are ticket barriers and security.
Factual error: When the real Sandy follows the other Sandy after she leaves the hair salon, the other Sandy notices she's being followed and speeds up her car. When she does that, the camera focuses on the speedometer and it shows the date and time, which don't correspond to the time the appointment was supposed to be, 3pm. The time on the clock in the car shows 9:13am and the date is shown as Tue 23 Feb. Further research shows that the last time February 23rd was on a Tuesday was in 2010.
Factual error: When the Millers' RV breaks down and it gets towed by the Fitzgeralds' RV, the two are connected by a tow rope. There is no one in the Millers' RV steering or working the brakes. The RVs would crash into each other the first time the front one slows down, and the Millers' RV would not steer properly to follow the Fitzgerald's. Also, when we see in the Fitzgeralds' side mirrors, we don't see the Millers' RV being towed.
Factual error: When Gary gives the police officer his name and address as Peter Page, the postcode he tells him is invalid - in the UK, the second half of a postcode always begins with a number.
Factual error: The door handles on the Challenger are the wrong handles for all makes of the Challenger in the 70s.
Factual error: When Mindy kicks one of the guys out of the van, he lands on the windshield of the car behind them and it crumbles. Windshields are not made of safety glass, they are made of laminated glass.
Factual error: One of Carlos' henchmen is running from Agnes' dog in her weed garden, in a maze like environment. The actions of the dog are totally unrealistic in how a dog would actually be chasing a person with intent to kill, especially a Doberman. And it was not moving very fast either, like jogging. A real situation like this, the dog would have been full sprint and on the attack, the henchman would not have been able to get away as long as he did as slow as he was going. (00:47:20)
Factual error: Don Jon is set in a New Jersey town. A commercial for Hardee's/Carl Jr's restaurants comes on the TV during a family dinner. These restaurants are not in the New Jersey/New York area at all.
Factual error: Near the beginning of the movie, the Slowhand album is on the turntable and the song "Lay Down Sally" is playing. The needle is near the end of the record, even though the song is the third of five tracks. Near the end of the movie, Meryl Streep drops the needle much closer to the beginning of the record to play the same song again.
Factual error: Just after Spud gets suspended from school, his mum is looking through a property catalogue of London homes. All the telephone numbers shown start with 020 7. The film is set in 1991, and inner London telephone numbers at that time started with 071, not changing to 020 7 until June 1999.
Factual error: When the team is at The Golden Gate Bridge after a night of partying they sit on a pair of red picnic tables at Battery Spencer. There are no picnic tables at Battery Spencer. (01:16:45)