Making a movie is a difficult task, and directors have to keep tabs on a multitude of elements
to keep the ship running. They’re so concerned with the bigger picture that sometimes small
details slide under the cracks and go unnoticed through the process. Even the best directors
aren’t perfect, and you’ll see why. To add to our Movie Mistakes series, here are
Screen Rant’s 10 movie mistakes that made the final cut.
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
James Cameron’s iconic sequel marked a leap forward for visual effects technology, pioneering
CGI via the intimidating T-1000. His liquid metal made him a dangerous threat, and even
the animators weren’t sure how to handle him. When the T-800 and John Connor help Sarah
escape from the hospital, the T-1000 tries to attack the elevator they’re in. Arnie
wards it off with a bullet to the head, but if you watch closely, the T-1000’s head
begins to split open before the T-800 pulls the trigger. Perhaps the T-1000 just had some
difficulties adjusting to the time travel.
Fury
Brad Pitt’s tank crew in Fury are among the most courageous soldiers in the military,
but they’re also apparently time travelers. Early in the film, there’s a shot inside
the tank that shows a quick glimpse of a cowgirl pinup poster titled “Come And Get It.”
It looks appropriate for the time period enough, but that particular poster was not made until
1959. That’s well after Fury’s World War II set story takes place. Director David Ayer
put a lot of effort into capturing the look and feel of a war-torn Europe, but this is
one area where he didn’t do solid research.
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
Peter Jackson’s Hobbit trilogy built up to this moment, and the band of dwarves didn’t
come prepared. When the group is getting ready to defend Erebor, they’re shown putting
on suits of armor. But later, when King Thorin has a change of heart and asks his friends
to follow him into battle once more, none of the dwarves are wearing armor. They even
go into the climactic fight without any protection. Continuity errors do happen, but this is a
colossal oversight by an Oscar winning director who should have spotted the error of his ways.
If the dwarves were going to war, why did they take the armor off?
Titanic
In a 3-hour epic, there are small errors that are going to slip through, but this one was
almost comical. As lovers Jack and Rose try to escape the sinking ship, a ship’s mate
tries to force Rose away with him to safety. In an attempt to break free, Rose punches
him in the face, giving him a bloody nose. Or so one would think. As the film cuts to
the reaction of the man who was punched, his face appears clean. It’s not until the actor
smears fake blood over his face does the effect take place.
Avengers: Age of Ultron
Marvel’s Avengers are Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, but they’re no experts on proper
seaport regulations. When the action cuts to Africa, the vessel Churchill in the salvage
yard has “Great Britain” listed as a registry port. This doesn’t seem like a big deal,
but it is inaccurate. The ports are normally listed as cities, not a country – or in
this case, an empire. Joss Whedon had so much on his plate making this sequel, it’s understandable
how he missed it, but somebody overseeing the production should have been able to point
it out and make the quick switch to Liverpool or another English city.
Terminator: Genisys
The Terminator series has played fast and loose with time, even pushing forward Judgement
day's actual date a number of times. But one thing that doesn't change is Skynet, the computer
system that triggered nuclear war by launching America's nukes at all its enemies. To make
the scene even more chilling, Terminator Genisys shows children watching as the missiles fly
by their airplane window, not realizing they're watching the end of the world. It's a powerful
image, but an incorrect one. The ICBMs that carry nuclear warheads like the ones shown
travel into low orbit on the way to their targets. Since the plane is flying at a fraction
of that height, that must be one broken missile.
Star Wars Return Of The Jedi
Some errors are minute (my-noot) details that are easy to overlook. Others are in plain
sight. During the capture of the Rebels by the Ewoks in Return Of The Jedi, C3PO is seen
as a god for the tiny Endor inhabitants. There is a quick shot of the Ewok tribe hailing
him as the heroes look around in disbelief. A second look at that shot and we can clearly
see that one of the Ewok costumes has the eyes missing and the actor’s face can be
seen behind the mask. How could nobody notice this obvious mistake on set or in editing?
We’re still trying to figure this one out.
The Shining
Stanley Kubrick sets up the isolation of the Overlook Hotel in The Shining’s opening
sequence, showcasing a vast building that’s all by itself on a hill. One exterior shot
clearly shows the hotel facing a slope with cars parked along the outside. Viewers were
probably too engrossed in the horror to realize that the film’s famous hedge maze is nowhere
to be seen in those opening moments, yet it’s there at the hotel in the end. Kubrick was
a director known for his attention to detail, so it’s surprising that he never noticed
this and amended the mistake during his hours of filming.
The Dark Knight Rises
Christopher Nolan changed superhero cinema with his Dark Knight trilogy, so he should
have gotten himself a proofreader. In a scene where Bruce Wayne is investigating cat burglar
Selina Kyle, he pulls up a newspaper report covering one of her robberies. The large-print
headline reveals that she was behind a jewel “hiest” (HEEST) instead of a jewel heist.
It’s true that typos happen – even in the real world – but with so many people
looking over the footage before the film got to theaters, you’d think someone would be
able to point that out and save the Gotham newspaper from losing its credibility.
The Wizard of Oz
Of all the famous images in The Wizard of Oz, few are as recognizable as Dorothy’s
ruby red slippers that she wears when she goes off to see the wizard. But she brought
some extra footwear with her for the journey. During a sequence where the Scarecrow tries
to show Dorothy how to get some apples, a shot shows Dorothy wearing plain black shoes
instead of the iconic red slippers. Since there’s a stark contrast between the two,
it’s hard to see how this was missed. Dorothy’s slippers clearly stand out, and one can certainly
tell when they’re missing.
So what do you think of our list? Which mistakes can you not believe ended up in the final
cut? Be sure to sound off in the comments section below, and click on subscribe for
more videos like this one!