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Rating: 
Summary: These guys love Godzilla, Too much!
Review: Don't get me wrong, the godzilla movies are among my favorite films of all time. But not a single negative word was written by J.D Lees or Marc Cerasini on this monster. While most of his films were average to excellent, some were just plain horrible (Godzilla v.s monster zero, Godzilla v.s the sea monster, e.t.c). Nevertheless, this book contains excellent info on almost all the monsters that have co-starred with Godzilla over the years. My only other problem is the fact that not a single picture of Varan is in this book. All in all, it's not the best godzilla book but still a very good effort.
Rating: 
Summary: You're right this time, it's the big fellow: the lizard king
Review: First off, this book is appreciating at a better clip than the stock market: I picked up my copy four years ago for what I thought was the catastrophic sum of $35.00. How many of your investments have more than doubled in value over the last four years?But that is the WORST reason to buy this book! Buy it because it is possibly the very best source book on Godzilla. Buy it because it's well put together, well-made, well-written and lavishly illustrated. Buy it because, well, because it's about Godzilla. Sure, if you're reading this you probably ought, by general opinion, to have outgrown any childish fascination or affection for a guy in a rubber suit stomping a cardboard Tokyo. You probably shouldn't speed on the highway, ride fast motorcycles or make rude gestures at the television news people either and stop eating raviolis out of the can, would 'ya??? It's not the inner child or any of that psycho-nonsense that motivates you to a) keep reading this even if you know it's nuts and b) keep faith with the Maximum Lizard, his films, books and exploits. It's the 'enduring' child: the continuing ability to be delighted, to wonder and, quite frankly, enjoy watching major urban areas get trashed by something wilder than your average daydream but not nearly as scary as reality. Unless your investments have been paying off nicely or you've been selling oil to the government, you might want to put this on your wish list and make nice with firends and relatives. Godzilla approves of social harmony in a sort of offhand, one-more-thing-to-stomp way.
Rating:
Summary: You're right this time, it's the big fellow: the lizard king
Review: First off, this book is appreciating at a better clip than the stock market: I picked up my copy four years ago for what I thought was the catastrophic sum of $35.00. How many of your investments have more than doubled in value over the last four years? But that is the WORST reason to buy this book! Buy it because it is possibly the very best source book on Godzilla. Buy it because it's well put together, well-made, well-written and lavishly illustrated. Buy it because, well, because it's about Godzilla. Sure, if you're reading this you probably ought, by general opinion, to have outgrown any childish fascination or affection for a guy in a rubber suit stomping a cardboard Tokyo. You probably shouldn't speed on the highway, ride fast motorcycles or make rude gestures at the television news people either and stop eating raviolis out of the can, would 'ya??? It's not the inner child or any of that psycho-nonsense that motivates you to a) keep reading this even if you know it's nuts and b) keep faith with the Maximum Lizard, his films, books and exploits. It's the 'enduring' child: the continuing ability to be delighted, to wonder and, quite frankly, enjoy watching major urban areas get trashed by something wilder than your average daydream but not nearly as scary as reality. Unless your investments have been paying off nicely or you've been selling oil to the government, you might want to put this on your wish list and make nice with firends and relatives. Godzilla approves of social harmony in a sort of offhand, one-more-thing-to-stomp way.
Rating: 
Summary: NOT for serious Godzilla fans
Review: The "official Godzilla Compendium" (meaning sanctioned by the Toho "suits") reads like kiddie fodder for the very young & casual fan of Godzilla & his films. Certainly NOT worth the current ... asking price (Amazon.[com])!! In fact, the only worthwhile qualities of this book are the pictures & the various monster stats near the end. The writing is uninspired & vapid at times & offers N-O-T-H-I-N-G in the realm of critical analysis of the various films mentioned throughout the book (surprise). One has to assume that the target audience is young children (8 & under). If so, then the book works fairly well as a very basic source of information on Godzilla & company. All other fans will be largely disapointed. My suggestion is, ignore "The Official Godzilla Compendium" & instead find a copy of one (or both)of the following two very well written & informative books on Godzilla & Japanese Giant monsters. They are Steve Ryfle's "JAPAN's FAVORITE MON-STAR" & GUY TUCKER'S "AGE OF THE GODS" (the latter is EXTREMELY hard to find). Both are MUST reads for the serious giant monster fan.
Rating:
Summary: The best informative book you can buy on Godzilla in the U.S
Review: The compendium is absolutely THE reference book for fans in the U.S.! Although with the internet, many of us can access other books about Godzilla. But this one is one of the best out there on Godzilla! I must have for any fan of the series!
Rating:
Summary: The handbook to Godzilla
Review: The only thing I don't like about this book is that J.D. Lees and Marc Cerasini don't say a SINGLE negative word about Godzilla. This has synopsises and comments on each Godzilla film excluding TriStar's American Godzilla and Godzilla 2000. This has very stupid things where a psychologist and paleontologist have essays about Godzilla. However, it has its high points--synopsises, comments, and monster bios and appearances. If you're a G-fan like I am, certainly this is yours for the taking.
Rating:
Summary: Slick, Stylish and Polished Addition for Fans
Review: This fairly slim book certainly lives up to the description of what a compendium is supposed to be: 'a brief, complete summary, or abstract'. Glossy stills, plot line summaries, brief reviews [favorable of course], color plates, and the great poster art for each film are presented in this Godzilla overview. With the recent release of some of the Heisei [second] series on DVD I've been indulging this guilty pleasure and started getting back into Gojira after having seen his films and being a fan through my childhood. It was such a pleasure to visit the Heisei series after the American version debacle. This books gave me a nice update on what to expect from the updated series. The guest essays appear to be filler, but they're humourous; Godzilla as a dinosaur, and parenting techniques via Godzilla [honey, you blow smoke rings, you'll get your tail stepped on]. Next up is the more in depth study, 'Monsters are Attacking Tokyo', and the Best of Godzilla soundtracks. How many books can you read that bring a nostalgic smile to your face, remembering these films from your childhood, and allow you to look forward to seeing ones that still haven't been released on DVD or in the US originally. Recommended to new and old fans.
Rating:
Summary: The Most Awesome Godzilla Book Ever!
Review: This is an excellent Godzilla reference guide. The stats on the monsters alone are worth the cover price. You can find out height, weight, what films various monsters have been in (Godzilla & non-Godzilla films are included), win/loss records, and other great little tidbits that really help in enjoying these movies. Many reviewers commented that nothing negative is said about any of the movies, but what can we expect from a guide released by Toho? I don't need anybody to tell me that Godzilla vs Megalon was terrible anyway! Another nice aspect is that every Godzilla movie has a synopsis, and they are very helpful in explaining what is happening when the plot is a bit hazey (I admit it, sometimes the plots are paper thin and a little clarification is necessary). Besides all the great info on the monsters, this book contains the release dates of the movies, alternate titles,pictures of the original movie posters, and lots more. The guest essays are entertaining, except for the "Godzilla as a Parenting Tool" section, which could probably be viewed as child abuse in some areas. That part alone is why I'll only give the book 4 stars. If you want a comprehensive Godzilla reference guide and don't mind that it is totally biased, give The Official Godzilla Compendium a try.
Rating: 
Summary: Tons of stats for Godzilla Geeks like me!
Review: This is an excellent Godzilla reference guide. The stats on the monsters alone are worth the cover price. You can find out height, weight, what films various monsters have been in (Godzilla & non-Godzilla films are included), win/loss records, and other great little tidbits that really help in enjoying these movies. Many reviewers commented that nothing negative is said about any of the movies, but what can we expect from a guide released by Toho? I don't need anybody to tell me that Godzilla vs Megalon was terrible anyway! Another nice aspect is that every Godzilla movie has a synopsis, and they are very helpful in explaining what is happening when the plot is a bit hazey (I admit it, sometimes the plots are paper thin and a little clarification is necessary). Besides all the great info on the monsters, this book contains the release dates of the movies, alternate titles,pictures of the original movie posters, and lots more. The guest essays are entertaining, except for the "Godzilla as a Parenting Tool" section, which could probably be viewed as child abuse in some areas. That part alone is why I'll only give the book 4 stars. If you want a comprehensive Godzilla reference guide and don't mind that it is totally biased, give The Official Godzilla Compendium a try.
Rating:
Summary: A feast for the eyes.
Review: This official compendium of Godzilla adoration offers nothing that any serious or longtime fan of The Big G doesn't already know, but it DOES offer a huge amount of stills - something the superior unauthorized tomes do not. Although weakened by a lack of detail (not mentioned are the prickly facts of Toho's shrinking budgets, the overuse of stock footage, etc.) and glowing reviews of every single movie in the series without bothering to mention their individual shortcomings (although it is nice to read commentary on Godzilla versus Megalon that doesn't grind the doofy flick into the dirt) this book would be a welcome addition in any true fan's library, just based on the stills and artwork alone. Highly recommended.
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