Author: Mark Cotta Vaz
Publisher: Titan Books
Pages: 168
As a major, mighty Godzilla fan, there was never any question as to whether or not I would enjoy this book. Instead it came down to how much I would enjoy it. Despite being very pleased with Gareth Edwards’ take on the classic Toho monster there is something both lovers and haters can agree on, and that’s that perhaps a little more Godzilla wouldn’t have gone amiss. Well fans of the giant lizard should rejoice in this spectacular offering, which has multiple Godzilla’s in all their glory.
Titan Books brings us the latest behind the scenes book from veteran Mark Cotta Vaz. Vaz has given us The Art Of… many different franchises, including STAR TREK, STAR WARS, Pixar’s THE INCREDIBLES and FINDING NEMO and even some illustrated movie guides to TWILIGHT. He’s also the man in charge of the upcoming tie-in for Christopher Nolan’s INTERSTELLAR. Being accustomed to the medium means that Vaz gives us exactly what we want and in abundance. This book is simply bursting with information, pictures, and anecdotes, making it a great tome to sit down and read over the course of a few hours, or have it out on display for guests to peruse at their leisure.
The stars and crew all chime in with their take on the film and their characters, which can sometimes sound a bit like marketing talk, but mostly comes across as sincere. Edwards’ introduction is particularly enjoyable to read, and Vaz connects the quotations with fun and well paced prose that connects the dots. You get a real sense of what it was like during the production of the film, which is what most people want to take from one of these books.
What most people will come to see though are the visuals, and more importantly concept art. The pre-viz and storyboards are all very interesting to see the genesis of the film, but I think what most fans will want to see are the rejected designs for the rebooted radioactive wrecking ball. Each of the designs is great in its own way, and you’ll find yourself imagining how it would have looked on the big screen. Funnily enough, there are some designs that would have been horrible for Godzilla, being more reminiscent of Roland Emmerich’s failed 1998 attempt. Edwards justifies his stance and rejection of each design in a magnificent folding centrepiece.
If you’re someone who loves to immerse yourselves in the details of how films of this magnitude are constructed, then this certainly won’t disappoint. It’s beautifully presented on fine paper which causes photographs and concept pictures to burst into life, and on top of it all it also smells great. Yeah…I’m a book sniffer, so what? A book that offers absolutely everything, including a glimpse at Akira Takarada’s cut cameo.
[usr=5] Godzilla: The Art Of Destruction is out now from Titan Books. Order your copy right here!
