‘Skyfall’ Mistakes You’ll Never Be Able to Unsee

Okay, so I just finished another rewatch of ‘Skyfall,’ and while it looks fantastic from the bustling streets of Istanbul to the atmospheric Scottish Highlands, I started noticing a few things… little hiccups, really. Turns out, a lot of eagle-eyed fans have pointed out ten on-screen mistakes – things like continuity errors, factual inaccuracies, and corners that were clearly cut during production. I’m sharing them here, so next time you watch, you can play spot-the-error along with me! Consider this your guide to finding all the hidden slip-ups.

Shanghai gloves switch mid-scene

During the chase in the Shanghai skyscraper, Bond initially follows the assassin Patrice without gloves. However, after the assassination and the quick fight at the window, he’s suddenly wearing black gloves. The editing makes it seem like the gloves magically appear between shots, instead of being a planned change of outfit. You can briefly see Bond putting them on as he grabs Patrice right before he falls. It’s a common editing mistake where something changes noticeably between shots within the same scene and action.

Bolt-action rifle behaves like semi-auto

During a crucial shot, Patrice’s sniper rifle clearly operates like a bolt-action, meaning she had to manually reload after each shot. However, a short time later, during the same fight scene, the rifle seems to fire repeatedly without her needing to reload. This is unusual because bolt-action rifles require manual reloading after every shot, and this inconsistency happens within the same action sequence.

District line chase filmed on Jubilee line stock

The chase scene in the Underground appears to take place on the District line, starting near Temple station. However, it wasn’t actually filmed there. The production team used the closed-down Jubilee line platforms at Charing Cross and a Jubilee line train, which they decorated with District line maps and a sign indicating it was going to Wimbledon. This clever filming trick resulted in some inconsistencies, like using trains and signs that didn’t quite match the supposed location.

Temple becomes Embankment… then Temple… then Embankment

During the train chase, a subtle editing trick is visible when Bond gets off at Temple station. The platform signs initially display “Temple,” but quickly change to “Embankment” right after he steps onto the platform. This fast switch reveals that the scene was created by combining different shots and editing them together. If you watch closely as he exits the train, you’ll notice the sign change in a split second.

Train carriage numbers change during the chase

The numbers identifying the train cars on the Underground aren’t consistent throughout the filming. At first, you see numbers starting with ’96’ and ending in ’69’, but later in the same scene, those numbers change to things like ‘424’ and ‘224’. Since these numbers are painted on the outside of the train, the change is a simple mistake in continuity between shots.

Sliding the escalator where you can’t slide

During the chase scene, Silva and Bond slide down the middle of the escalators. However, real London Underground escalators have barriers and warnings in that central area to stop people from sliding. The escalators used for filming didn’t have these safety features, allowing the stunt to be performed, but it doesn’t reflect how actual stations are designed.

Background actors jump around on the stairs

While filming a scene of Silva walking down the stairs in the subway, there’s a small mistake with the background actors. In one shot, two men are standing to his left, but in the next, it’s only one different man. This continuity error becomes noticeable when switching between the shots.

Charing Cross playing dress-up as Temple and Westminster

Despite being depicted as Temple or Westminster stations, all the Underground scenes were actually filmed on the disused platforms at Charing Cross. While the production team added District and Circle line signs for some shots, the station’s unique design and the trains themselves give away the real location. This explains some of the geographical inconsistencies fans have noticed during the chase sequences.

M’s seat swaps sides in the Jaguar getaway

During the escape from the courthouse, M is initially seen sitting in the back left seat of the car behind Bond. A moment later, a shot from the rearview mirror shows her on the opposite side of the back seat, still wearing her seatbelt. This quick change captured on camera reveals that the car’s interior was flipped or mirrored during the scene.

A bus route that doesn’t belong on Whitehall

While Bond is running through Whitehall, you can briefly see a Route 38 bus behind him. This is unusual because the 38 bus doesn’t actually travel down that street. It seems like the bus was included in the shot as a product placement, but it doesn’t match the real bus routes.

Keep an eye out for these details when you watch again—and let us know in the comments if you’ve spotted any mistakes we didn’t catch!

2025-11-12 09:17