These movies were absolute classics for many people growing up and they’re still much-loved now. While they’re a fun adventure, you shouldn’t really use any of them as history lessons. Why? Well, there’s a prime example in the Last Crusade filmed back in 1989.
In this movie, we see Harrison Ford taking down members of the Nazi party, who were obviously a big part of World War 
II in 1939 until 1945. So, what’s wrong with that? Well, many of them are wearing war medals in this film which was set one year before the war even kicked off. How is that possible? How could they have won war medals before the war?
Pirates of the Caribbean
Here is another prime example of not using movies for history lessons. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl is thought to have been set loosely in a 30-year period between 1720 and 1750. We also know this to be about right, as the king is George I – it’s a little off, but we’ll let it slide. However…
While we get the gist that the film is around the early 1700s due to the King, there is one big problem with that. The Royal Navy in the movies are all wearing uniforms that date around 1947. There is no way these uniforms would have even existed, let alone being worn by the Royal Navy at the time. Guys, don’t get your history lessons from Pirates of the Caribbean!
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
Who can forget the 1991 classic Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, with its all-star cast? Kevin Costner, Morgan Freeman, Christian Slater, Alan Rickman… Need we go on? While it’s an absolutely excellent movie, it’s not without its mistakes.
Of course, this movie is based on a folk tale that is thought to be set around the 12th century. So, when Azeem (played by Morgan Freeman) hands Robin Hood a telescope, there’s a huge problem. Telescopes weren’t invented until the 17th century and so there’s no way anyone would have had one. Maybe Robin Hood used his telescope to look into the future and Azeem built him one from that…? No, that doesn’t work either. There’s simply no excuse for this blunder.
Troy was a smash hit when it was released in 2004, with one Oscar nomination for the costume designer for the movie. It also starred some huge names at the time, including Brad Pitt as Achilles and Orlando Bloom as Paris – which is who we see pictured here. He’s a cool guy, right?
We particularly like that fancy parasol he is using to keep himself shaded from the sun. Except, there’s one big problem with that umbrella. Whilst they were an Ancient Greek invention, they didn’t come about until 800 years after the Trojan War, which is when this film was set. Perhaps this blooper is the reason it didn’t win the costume design Oscar after all.
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Yet another Indiana Jones movie to make it onto the list, but this time we’re looking at Raiders of the Lost Ark. In this adventure flick, it’s Indy against the Nazis once again. He’s been hired by the government to find the Ark of the Covenant before the bad guys can get their hands on it. However, there’s a problem.
In the background during this scene, you can clearly see someone wearing jeans and a t-shirt. Considering this film is meant to be set in 1936, there is just no way someone would be wearing that outfit back then. Either someone left their costume at home or one of the crew members has accidentally made their way into the movie.