Factual error: The scene where Pluto gets burned takes place at the Santa Cruz Natural History Museum, directly east of the Beach Boardwalk. In order to drive to the boardwalk in the scene immediately afterward, the Wilsons would have to pass through the line of Tethers holding hands.
Factual error: Speed radar guns work by measuring the speed of an object that is either approaching or moving away from it. So when it shows Sonic running across, the beam giving the measurement wouldn't work, and he would have barely even registered on the device. (00:04:44)
Factual error: When we see Elton John's father Stanley in RAF uniform at the beginning of the film he is wearing other ranks' uniform. Stanley was commissioned in 1944, three years before Elton was born, and served as a commissioned officer until his retirement as a squadron leader in 1963. He should be wearing officer's uniform.
Factual error: A piece of ship that size crash landing into a planet and not being destroyed would be an extinction level event. The asteroid that supposedly killed the dinosaurs was a lot smaller.
Factual error: When Zapan speaks while his face is chopped off, the producers have failed to take into account the importance of mouth and tongue in producing speech. As a cyborg, Zapan could use speakers to produce a voice, but he isn't.
Factual error: The family supposedly left Ex-Yugoslavia (what part isn't made clear exactly) "because of the war", but the only conflict still going on there in 1999 (when the family is still there in the opening scene) was the NATO bombing of targets in Serbia in order to get the Serbs to lay off Kosovo, and that was long over by Christmas of that year.
Factual error: In 1940 3 of Alf White's men are arrested. As they are taken out of the pub they were in Alf and his son stand in the doorway. To their left (viewer's right) are posters for Floyd Patterson (who would have been aged 4 or 5 at the time) and the Platters (formed in 1952) and Lonnie Donegan (started performing 1949). (00:20:03)
Factual error: She fires the entire magazine of a Glock into the alligator's mouth. When it is empty, rather than the slide locking back and the trigger freezing, there is an audible click every time she pulls the trigger. This could not happen.
Factual error: In the flash back with Jesse and Walter, they are eating at the Owl Cafe. Outside, a mountain and dirt road can be seen, indicating they are out in some rural area in the desert. The Owl Cafe is actually in Albuquerque and is nowhere near a mountain or desert landscape. It is on one of the busiest streets in the city, surrounded by other businesses such as gas stations, restaurants, and hotels. There is another Owl Cafe in San Antonio, New Mexico, but that one looks nothing like the one in the flashback (it also isn't near a mountain and is surrounded by paved roads).
Factual error: A fire is raging in a hardware store. The sprinklers come on. After the fire is out, the sprinklers shut off. Without anybody shutting them off. That's not the way automatic sprinklers work. Once the fusible link melts, they are on continuously until manually shut off at the valve, usually outside of the building. (01:35:20)
Factual error: Before the scene in the stable begins, John is pushed into the building by a series of cars cornering and ramming him. The order is given by two men speaking in Italian, but it's Italian with all the wrong cadence showing the words are not understood, and a pronunciation so bad words are barely recognizable - and wrong, like "Diteglie." (00:24:20)
Factual error: In the antique shop, Woody is at a point where he's at the center of a tug-o-war between two sides, with the "bad toys" pulling on his draw string for his voice box. The voice box can still be heard spouting its lines, despite the fact that the tension on the string is never released allowing it to draw the string back in, which is what makes the sound. It can't make it's sounds with the string continually out in the pulled position.
Factual error: The German character plays a record on his gramophone 'Four Last songs' by Richard Strauss, composed in 1948. The film is set in 1945-46.
Factual error: At presentation of the Medal of Honor, the US Air Force Secretary reads the citation that states William H. Pitsenbarger was an Airman First Class (E-3 with 2 stripes) but in the battle scenes William H. Pitsenbarger is wearing the insignia of a 'Buck' Sergeant (E-4 with 3 stripes). (00:14:29 - 01:43:55)
Factual error: The Sheriff of the small town is wearing Sergeant stripes on her shoulder sleeves. If she was a Sheriff then no chevrons should be on her sleeves.
Factual error: Peg turned state's witness against other debt collectors (who were convicted thanks to her testimony) and her "deal" with the prosecutor cleared her of all debt-related charges. However, her destruction of evidence (52,437 debt sheets) could not be overlooked or forgiven and she had to serve time in confinement. Peg said, "Luckily, half my jury had their debt erased in the fire, so I got a lighter sentence." This would NOT happen in court! Potential jurors are questioned to make sure they are non-biased, know little if anything about the case, do not have a vested interest (they are neutral and detached) in the outcome, etc. Each side (prosecution and defense) is allowed a certain number of peremptory challenges (allowing them to dismiss a certain number of potential jurors). Screening questions to potential jurors in this case would include whether they currently have debt, which creates bias and would result in dismissal as a juror. Jurors also would NOT determine her sentence. (01:27:46)
Factual error: Russell said he served twenty-one years in prison because his last offense - possession of 30 grams of marijuana with the intent to distribute - counted as his "third strike" under California's "Three Strikes And You're Out" statute. When he was on the internet trying to locate his father (instead finding his obituary from 2001), information on the computer indicated it was now 2012. This would mean Russell was incarcerated since 1991 - and further indicates he was sentenced about three years BEFORE California's "Three Strikes And You're Out" statute was implemented. Also, 30g of marijuana is the limit for "personal use", so he wouldn't have been charged with intent to distribute. (00:16:15)
Factual error: A metal charcoal starter is at Dozier's fireplace when he's reading the Bible. This type was not invented until 1960.
Factual error: Attorney Aegis inappropriately rounded up/down a couple common statistics pertaining to the infamous Ford Pinto case, which resulted in a total that didn't add up: "it would cost the company $11 per Pinto to fix the problem. But with 12 million [should be 12.5] of 'em on the road, that would cost $137 million compared with $50 million [should be 49.5] to maintain the status quo. $137 million to fix a $50 million problem..." But 12 million x $11 = $132 million [not $137 million]. (00:24:38)
Factual error: During the opening credits, Alec Baldwin and Selma Hayek are driving back to New York. They pass by various buildings, one shot being entirely devoted to a dilapidated Blockbuster video store. That shot must have been archive footage from the UK, since you can see the realtor sign by it, and it's from Carter Jonas, a London based firm, and gives an 01962 phone number (Windsor).