- During the scene in the shed, after Matrix cuts the soldier's arm off, he was originally supposed to hit the victim with it and say "Need a hand?". This scene was edited out as being too macabre.
- Matrix kills 81 people.
- Actor Trademark: [Arnold Schwarzenegger] "I'll be back, Bennett!"
- Following his success in the Conan movies and The Terminator (1984), producers realized that Arnold Schwarzenegger was becoming a household name. This was the first film in which he got true "top" billing: the name Schwarzenegger was placed at the top of the poster, above the title of the film. Almost every film he has starred in since has done the same.
- Actor Trademark: [Arnold Schwarzenegger] "Trust me."
- The shopping mall (Sherman Oaks Galleria) used is the same one that was used in Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), also starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. Since both films wrapped, the mall has been remodeled.
- John McTiernan was offered the chance to direct this film, and turned it down. Later, while editing Nomads (1986), his feature debut, he was offered the chance to direct Arnold Schwarzenegger's second film for 20th Century Fox, Predator (1987), which he accepted.
- The mansion used in the final shoot out between Matrix and Arius is the same mansion in the final shoot out between Axel Foley and Victor Maitland in Beverly Hills Cop (1984).
- Vernon Wells (Bennett) originally auditioned for the role of John Matrix.
- Just after Matrix plants the claymore mines, he is seen shooting a knife into a guard's stomach. The knife he used is a Russian Ballistic knife that uses a spring to launch the knife blade out of the handle.
- Matrix goes into battle with an Valmet M78 light machine gun, an Uzi submachine gun, a Remington Model 870 combat shotgun and a Desert Eagle automatic pistol. He also commandeers an M60E3 belt-fed machine gun and an M16A1 assault rifle.
- Patria Industries really exists. It's a company from Finland which produces armored modular vehicles, mortar systems and helicopters for military purposes.
- Arius (Dan Hedaya) is said to be a deposed dictator from the country of Val Verde. Val Verde was a fictionalized South/Central American country used by Hollywood from the 1980s to early 1990s to depict a Spanish speaking country similar to Cuba or Nicaragua without getting encountering diplomatic problems. It is also referenced in the films Predator (1987), Die Hard 2 (1990), and the made for TV movie Supercarrier (1988) (TV).
- The surplus store where Matrix picks up all the war toys during his night "shopping" was "Surplus City" in Sun Valley, California. A movie addition to the building (on the driveway) allowed for the secret room, where the machine guns and the other fun stuff was hidden. In the 1960's, this company had the largest collection of military surplus 'jeeps' and 'mighty mites' for sale in the US.
- The seaplane used is registered N143DF which was a 1942 Grumman Goose. It was destroyed in a hangar fire in 1999.
>>> WARNING: Here Be Spoilers <<<
Trivia items below here contain information that may give away important plot points. You may not want to read any further if you've not already seen this title.
- SPOILER: In the prologue, it was originally scripted for Diaz (Gary Cervantes), not Cooke (Bill Duke), to steal the car and kill the salesman.
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