Continuity mistake: The first time we see the inside of the transport plane, the helicopter is very close to the yellow car, with its tail sticking most of the way over it. When Bond and Jinx come to escape and start up the conveyer belt, the yellow car's nowhere near the tail. Nothing to do with the conveyer itself - it's just two standard belts moving backwards. The car can't move any faster than the chopper. (01:58:10)
Continuity mistake: Before Bond and Jinx get on board the plane, a long shot shows its nose to be solid, as normal. But in the first shot of the inside, when Graves enters, the nose is entirely paned glass. (01:45:10)
Deliberate mistake: When Bond is fighting Zhao in the clinic, they accidentally set off the tomograph Zhao was lying in. As this machine's powerful magnetic fields indeed would pull any metallic object in, no doctor with common sense would allow sharp objects and other stuff within range. You aren't even allowed to carry watches and have to report any dental fillings. (00:43:50)
Factual error: Iceland has no vegetation above the size of birches and willows, which rather spoils the scene with Mr. Bond crashing through a patch of firs (or whatever those needle trees were)... (01:32:14)
Continuity mistake: In the scene where Gustav Graves is demonstrating the power of Icarus, the audience has their sunglasses on to block the sunlight. After Icarus is shut down we see a shot of a man and a woman behind Bond to each side without sunglasses on (just after the shot of the 3 guys in suits removing their glasses). When we cut out to a wide shot we see these two people removing their glasses. (01:12:25)
Continuity mistake: In the scene where Bond and Jinx cuts the fence to get onto the plane it is totally black night. But when the plane takes off it is broad daylight. (01:45:00)
Trivia: Most of the scenes of the greenhouse in Iceland were filmed at The Eden Project in Cornwall, including the shots of James Bond zipping up the rope, and running down the side of the building. The opening shots of the beach in Korea were also filmed in Cornwall, at Holywell bay. (01:16:20)
Visible crew/equipment: For a moment during the Bond/Graves sword fight (after Graves shatters the glass case, nearly impaling Bond), we get a brief glimpse of the stunt doubles for both actors. (00:55:35)
Continuity mistake: In the scene where Bond is in the rocket sled he is in the ice palace. But when you see the bad guy with the binoculars looking out the window, in the reflection of the binoculars it shows a desert type of land. (01:27:40)
Continuity mistake: During the scene where James Bond and Gustav Graves are having their sword fight Gustav cuts James' knee but for the rest of the scene there is no blood. (00:54:59)
Continuity mistake: In the scene,where Bond meets Jinx the very first time, the bartender in the background does weird things. First, Bond asks him for a mojito, he comes to him. Later, when Bond looks at Jinx, the bartender is in the far left side of the counter. When next time Bond is seen, the bartender is close behind Bond. And next time the camera changes its view, the bartender is in the far left corner again. He remains there in the rest of the scene. (00:34:30)
Continuity mistake: When Q brings out the flatcar with the invisible car on it, the flatcar appears empty. Q explains how the invisibility is achieved, and he walks behind the car. We see Q's legs distort cartoonishly as he does so. Why doesn't this distortion take place when the car is moving out of the tunnel? (01:03:15)
Continuity mistake: During the scene when Bond sees Jinx emerging from the water, the angle cuts back and forth between the both of them. You can see that is some shots Bond's cigar is not lit; there is no smoke coming from it and also the "cherry" does not light up as he puffs it. In others it's lit properly. The length of the cigar and the height of the Mojito drink also change. (00:36:21)
Revealing mistake: During the sword fight in the castle a sword penetrates a glass panel behind which stands an armour. The armour is then pushed through the glass panel behind it. The first glass panel breaks in big pieces (probably the usual 'sugar' glass), whereas the second glass panel shatters properly. (00:55:35)
Continuity mistake: When Bond jumps down from the truck after being captured, he is handcuffed (or has his hands tied). However, when he lands, he's holding a guard in each hand - for stability - but in the next scene, during the General's speech, he's tied again. (00:17:35)
Continuity mistake: When Miranda Frost finally gets killed, her right arm goes from being held up, then outstretched when she gets kicked, to up just before she falls over, to outstretched as she actually does fall over. (01:55:15)
Continuity mistake: In the US Command Bunker, when the group gathers in front of the large satellite monitor on the wall to discuss Graves' whereabout, the shot from behind shows a man in business suit already passing Bond completely; when cut to the front in the next shot showing Bond's face, the same man is seen crossing right behind Bond again. (01:46:13)
Continuity mistake: At the end of the Bond/Graves sword fight (after Miranda has stepped between them), in the close-up of Bond, he lowers his sword. In the long shot a fraction of a second later, it's raised in front of him again. (00:56:25)
Continuity mistake: When Gustav Graves arrives in his ice-slidey-vehicle, in the long shot the top starts to slide open, but in a closeup it's shut, and his assistant opens it. Plus he has the helmet in his hand when the glass lid is opened, but his head was so close to the top of the glass that there is no room for him to remove the helmet with the cockpit shut. (01:06:30)
Continuity mistake: At the end of the fencing battle between Graves and Bond, Graves has a nasty cut on his right cheek near his ear. When he and Bond meet again in Iceland the following weekend, his right side is shown close up and there is no sign of this despite only being a few days later. (00:56:33)
Answer: By this stage, it's become a habit.
J I Cohen