History YMMV / Invictus

* AluminumChristmasTrees: Yes, the "Good luck Bokke" plane flew over the stadium, twice in fact. People who didn't live that moment (and specially the post-9/11 generation) will express their disbelief [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJVMlHfloHA about the stunt]]

* WTHCastingAgency: 5'10" Creator/MattDamon as 6'3" Springbok captain François Pienaar. Still, his performance was mostly lauded by critics, and he ended up receiving an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
** Creator/MattDamon {{lampshade|Hanging}}d this upon meeting the RealLife François Pienaar.
--> I look taller on film.

* HilariousInHindsight / DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: The plane [[spoiler: that flies in lower and lower to the stadium where Mandela is located... before flying overhead and revealing the "Go Bokke" painted on the underside]].

* CriticalResearchFailure: ''Invictus'' was not the speech given by Nelson Mandela to Francois Pienaar before the start of the 1995 World Cup. It was a speech by Theodore Roosevelt called ''The Man in The Arena''. ''Invictus'' was probably used instead due to RuleOfCool.
** It's actually Latin for "Unconquerable" and it's also the name of the poem that Mandela often recited while in prison.

* CriticalResearchFailure: ''Invictus'' was not the speech given by Nelson Mandela to Francois Pienard before the start of the 1995 World Cup. It was a speech by Theodore Roosevelt called ''The Man in The Arena''. ''Invictus'' was probably used instead due to RuleOfCool.

* SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome: The ending.

* ClicheStorm: A lot of reviewers criticized the film for following many of cliches and plot points found in several other movies about underdog sports teams, even if it did have a famous world leader like Nelson Mandela fulfilling the role of the inspirational coach.

--> I look taller on film.

** Creator/MattDamon {{Lampshaded}} this upon meeting the RealLife François Pienaar.

** it's actually Latin for "Unconquerable" and it's also the name of the poem that kept Mandela going in Prison.

* HarsherInHindsight: Though he was alive at the time of the movie's release, Mandela died a few years later.

* HarsherInHindsight: Though he was alive at the time of the movie's release, Mandela died a few years later.

* CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming:

* CrowningMomentOfAwesome: The ending.
* CrowningMomentOfFunny: When {{Those Two Guys}} are about to go for a [[HoYay celebratory hug]], then [[SubvertedTrope decide against it]].
* HilariousInHindsight / DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: The plane [[spoiler: that flies in lower and lower to the stadium where Mandela is located... before flying overhead and revealing the "Go Bokke" painted on the underside.]]
* MartyStu: The portrayal of Nelson Mandela can come off like this, at least as it relates to anything directly related to the plot or to the South African government. Unintentionally [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]] by one of his bodyguards when he goes jogging.

* SpecialEffectFailure: The film uses news footage of the ''real'' Nelson Mandela in the beginning (when he's just been released from prison) and at the end. MorganFreeman may be the only man who could ''play'' him in this generation (in fact, an episode of ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDad'' had the joke of Morgan Freeman looking like Nelson Mandela), but there is a noticeable physical difference.

* WTHCastingAgency: 5'10" MattDamon as 6'3" Springbok captain François Pienaar. Still, his performance was mostly lauded by critics, and he ended up receiving an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
** MattDamon {{Lampshaded}} this upon meeting the RealLife François Pienaar.

* WorfHadTheFlu: IRL, the All Blacks were largely suffering from food poisoning. Conspiracy theories abound about a fictional "Suzy the Waitress".

* WTHCastingAgency: 5'10" MattDamon as 6'3" Springbok captain François Pienaar. Still, his performance was mostly lauded by critics, and he ended up recieving an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

** it's actually latin for "Unconquerable" and it's also the name of the poem that kept Mandela going in Prison.

* SpecialEffectFailure: The film uses news footage of the ''real'' Nelson Mandela in the beginning (when he's just been released from prison) and at the end. MorganFreeman may be the only man who could ''play'' him in this generation (in fact, an episode of ''AmericanDad'' had the joke of Morgan Freeman looking like Nelson Mandela), but there is a noticeable physical difference.

* SpecialEffectFailure: The film uses news footage of the ''real'' Nelson Mandela in the beginning (when he's just been released from prison) and at the end. MorganFreeman may be the only man who could ''play'' him in this generation, but there is a noticeable physical difference.

* CriticalResearchFailure: ''Invictus'' was not the speech given by Nelson Mandela to Francois Pienard before the start of the 1995 World Cup. It was a speech by Theodore Roosevelt called ''The Man in The Arena''. This makes the title of the film somewhat bizarre and a [[SubvertedTrope subversion]] of [[AmericanItis Americanitis]]. ''Invictus'' was probably used instead due to RuleOfCool.

* WTHCastingAgency: 5'10" MattDamon as 6'3" Springbok captain Francois Pienaar. Still, his performance was mostly lauded by critics, and he ended up recieving an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
** MattDamon {{Lampshaded}} this upon meeting the RealLife Francois Pienaar.

* WTHCastingAgency: 5'10" MattDamon as 6'3" Springbok captain Francois Pinnear. Still, his performance was mostly lauded by critics, and he ended up recieving an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
** MattDamon {{Lampshaded}} this upon meeting the RealLife Francois Poinnear.