Pacific Rim: Man, Machines & Monsters Hardcover – June 18, 2013

Guillermo del Toro's blockbuster monster-vs-mecha film "Pacific Rim" was, in my personal and unprofessional opinion, the best movie of 2013. It caught my attention in a way few movies ever have, and sported amazing special effects, thrilling action sequences, jaw-dropping visuals, and a surprising amount of heart and decent characterization. The plot was a little thin, but I believe most movie-goers were too caught up in the world and visuals to care much on that front. It was, to me, a spectacular film that balanced out eye-candy visuals with attention to story and characters, and it made me want to learn more about the world of the movie and how it was constructed. So I ordered the art book... and promptly had to wait a month for it. (My best guess is that the publisher underestimated demand for the book, and I had to wait for another printing to get my hands on a copy.)This book was totally worth the wait, however. Not only is it an informative, in-depth look at how the film was made, but it offers crucial background information on the characters, technology, monsters, and world of the film. And the extras help sweeten the deal.The book starts off with a thoughtful foreword by del Toro himself, talking about his love for the movie and his desire to share it with the world. From there, we learn more about how the movie took shape, and how del Toro signed onto the project after leaving "The Hobbit" and having his adaptation of "At the Mountains of Madness" cancelled. The film contains storyboards, concept sketches and designs, production photos, and movie stills showing how the film took shape, how the actors and set and costume designers and special effects teams collaborated to bring the film together, and how much attention was given to even seemingly insignificant details in the film. And for those interested in the characters themselves, every major human character, Jaeger, and Kaiju is given some background, including "tech specs" and some insight from del Toro, the actors, and the designers on how they were developed and what their stories beyond the film are. It's a fascinating look at how much thought and effort went into the world, taking what could have been a slapdash summer "popcorn movie" and turning it into something with weight and texture.The aforementioned extras I spoke of are detachable cards, posters, and sticker sheets that adhere to some of the pages of the book. There are bio cards for Raleigh and Mako, a sheet of stickers with symbols of the various Jaeger teams and Kaiju "kill records," Kaiju War propaganda posters, and even reproductions of sketches and notes from del Toro's own notebook. The reader needs to be careful removing these from the book so as not to damage the pages, but I was able to get them out without damaging the book or leaving behind residue. And they are fun little extras to have.If I have any nitpicks with the book, it's that there are a few factual goofs in the "tech specs." For example, Cherno Alpha is listed as a Mark-4 Jaeger, when other information lists it as a Mark-1, much older than the book's tech specs state. But these are fairly minor, in my opinion.Stories of how films are made, from the conceptual stages to filming to special effects to everything else, always fascinate me, and doubly so when it's a movie I love. If you're a fan of "Pacific Rim," or simply enjoy learning how a film is made -- especially a film made with loving attention to detail and story -- then this book is a must-own. It's gorgeous, informative, and high-quality, and will be quite the conversation piece sitting on your coffee table.

"Pacific Rim": My humble movie review - It's the best "Cthulhu vs Mecha" movie... EVER!! 5 tentacles UP!! Really, the only thing wrong with "Pacific Rim" is that the movie goes by too fast. The monsters and robots, are so strange, and wonderful, and amazingly well designed, I wanted to see MORE... that is why I bought the book "Pacific Rim: Man, Machines & Monsters". It gives you every monster from sketch through to fully rendered image. Plus, all the back story ideas of why they look like that. What powers each Lovecraftian creature has. What weakness. What's their alien-monster-god goals? Did you know the monster "Otachi's" tail could come off and fight on it's own?! Yes, all the monsters have names! The robots too. Each with different powers. It's a beautifully made book; 156 pages packed full of art, plus ID cards for the robot (Jaeger) pilots, plus stickers of the Robot's insignia, plus an envelope in the back that holds two fold out propaganda posters. All the art you pass by so quickly in a movie, Monsters, armor, sets, costumes, storyboards, everything... you can look at as long as you want, in this book. Read about the "journey of design" each "thing of Art" took. Guillermo del Toro, an artist himself, fully documents his movies. I have the amazing "Art of" books from both Hellboy movies. However, this is even bigger and better. There is so much information squeezed into the movie, I don't know if I would have enjoyed it WITH OUT the book explaining all the things I wanted to know about this world, about this adventure. PLUS, like all Guliimero Del Toro movies, "Pacific Rim" has "heart". The characters have goodness in them. There's horror, but also humor. You like the characters. You don't leave the theater feeling tainted, but "up and excited"; like you stepped off a thrill ride - a great "ghost-train" ride. And the book tells you all about each and every thrill you had, and many others you missed on the first viewing.

I like the movie so much and decided to buy the book. I ordered it on September 20, 2013 and Amazon told me that the item is out of stock, so it will be shipped by the end of October 2013. I was a bit disappointed and hoping that i can get the book sooner. Then, on September 12, 2013, i received an update email from Amazon that the book is back in stock. I was so excited. It has been shipped on October 17, 2013 and arrived in front of my door on October 22, 2013! :D I’m so glad i finally got it. Good job, Amazon! The book is great, especially as a coffee table book (for nerds of course)! It is approximately 11.5 x 10.25 x 0.75 inches and features tons of concept artworks, Jaegers’ blueprints, character profiles, kaiju designs, and etc. There are 2 propaganda posters and stickers attached inside the book as well. It's worth every penny and i just love it!