Speed

Character mistake: There is no way on earth that a police officer would shoot a hostage in the thigh to 'take them out of the equation'. Anyone who suggested such a thing would likely be taken out and shot themselves. Bullet wounds to the thigh are often fatal, as an injury to the femoral artery causes massive and frequently unstoppable blood loss. Breaking the femur often leads to fat embolisms as bone marrow gets into the bloodstream and then to the lungs. In fact a broken femur is a life threatening injury in itself, and a shattered femur - a typical bullet injury - would almost always result in a total amputation. You cannot aim carefully enough to avoid the bone or artery as their position in the body varies, (as will the bullet trajectory upon impact). Jack is an experienced cop and would know the potentially disastrous consequences of shooting someone in the thigh. He'd shoot him in the foot. (00:21:05)

Character mistake: When Jack introduces Annie to his boss after the explosion at the airport he calls him Lieutenant McMahon but when the credits come up at the end of the film he is named as Captain McMahon.

Character mistake: At the airport, when Jack is under the bus on the trolley being towed by the truck, an accident causes all the cable on the winch reel to pay out. At this point all that's holding the cable to the reel is a small metal clamp. Jack slews around under the bus for a while, in grave danger of being run over by the vehicle's rear wheels, and then the clamp gives way (in slow motion). The now-free cable shoots toward the bus, and Jack pulls himself off the trolley just as it goes under the rear wheel. If you look at the shot where the cable is flying toward the bus, you can see two SWAT guys standing on the back of the truck, on either side of the winch. Their posture is completely relaxed and casual. Considering that for the past several seconds, Jack has been sliding around under the bus, fighting for his life, wouldn't the SWAT guys be much more excited--moving around, trying to get a better look, giving instructions to the truck's driver?

rbryant73

Speed mistake picture

Revealing mistake: If you look at the missing part of the bridge, and look at the shadow underneath, the shadow is of a full bridge. (01:02:35)

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Jack: You're crazy! You're fuckin' crazy!
Howard Payne: NO! Poor people are crazy, Jack. I'm eccentric.

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Trivia: When the bus crashes into the plane at the end, the company logo on the plane is "Pacific Courier." This fictional company name also appears in "Die Hard"--it's on the truck the terrorists show up in (except Karl and Theo, who arrive by car). Jan de Bont, who directed "Speed," was DP on "Die Hard."

rbryant73

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Question: How would you get on the roof of a moving subway? We don't see it in the movie (Jack looks up and starts to climb - cut - Jack is on the roof.... Howard cries 'I'm coming for you Jack and runs - cut - Howard is behind Jack on the roof. after the fight when Howard 'lost his head' - cut - Jack is inside the subway again...).

Answer: Ventilation shafts or roof panels.

Toolio

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