Fans are the real stars at ‘Star Wars’ fun fest

INDIANAPOLIS — The ultimate homage to the mighty Skywalker Clan occurred last week as “Star Wars” Celebration III bombarded the Hoosier capital with more than 30,000 devoted fans.

They were looking to reflect upon a film legacy, reminisce with those who made it happen and hand over huge wads of cash to licensers selling an obscene amount of stuff.

Spread out over four days, from April 21 through 24, the massive event, developed by the Official “Star Wars” Fan Club, was sponsored by such mega-corporations as Burger King, Target and Cingular. It featured artwork, game rooms, panels, film screenings, a prop museum and plenty of guys dressed as Darth Vader.

Heck, even Jar Jar Binks and an Ewok managed to sneak in.

Zadzooks transformed himself into one of the doe-eyed, giggling fans to offer some observations on an insane event that will be remembered as 2005’s most intense popular-culture extravaganza.

• Fans standing around became a common sight for the entire four days; it appears coordinators had little clue that this many people would show up. Although organized lines were further organized into more lines, the only thing quelling a riot was the pleasant attitude of attendees, who spent time chatting about everything “Star Wars.”

Still, the lines to get to the official Celebration Store at the center of the massive Indiana Convention Center were the worst. Each day, attendees arrived early to stand in lines (which took many hours to navigate), reach a cashier and have runners pull from boxed piles such conspicuously consumable merchandise as a framed pin set ($80), a Yoda hooded sweatshirt ($32) and Hasbro’s coveted, 3 3/4-inch talking Darth Vader action figure ($15), which spews new lines recorded by James Earl Jones (the voice of the dark Sith lord).

• Unbelievably, celebrity firepower was a mere flicker at the show. If George Lucas hadn’t made an appearance, it would have reminded me of the standard set of “Star Wars” autograph hawkers seen at any large comic-book convention.

Fans were stuck with 40 celebs, most of them minor: Matthew Wood (the voice of General Grievous), Zach Jenson (Jedi Kitt Fisto) and Daniel Logan (young Boba Fett), whose total screen time throughout the sagas did not justify the amount of money asked for their autographs ($10 to $30 each plus the purchase of a photo).

• Producer Rick McCallum did manage to fire up the crowds each day with an amazing montage from the new film, “Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.” After showing eye-popping visuals using a Christie Digital Cinema projector, he answered fans’ questions while pleading with them to view the new film only in theaters willing to install digital projection systems.

• Of course, the “world’s definitive Imperial costuming organization,” the 501st Legion, showed up to display its seriously detailed and flawlessly designed outfits.

Basically, more than 3,000 folks around the globe dress up as Stormtroopers, Clonetroopers and Red Guard to promote “Star Wars” to a new generation as they make appearances and collect money for charities.

The number of Imperial forces that showed up, estimated at around 700, made the town look as if it were in lockdown. Almost every street corner contained a helmeted trooper, dressed in white and wielding a laser blaster.

Sunday was their day to shine, as many in the group posed for photos in the Fan Fair Hall. As a special surprise, actor Jay Laga’aia, who plays Captain Typho in Episodes I, II and III, grabbed his costume out of the exhibit hall and dressed up as the character to pose with the huge garrison.

“I couldn’t pass this up because there are not too many opportunities for a photo shoot with good and evil,” Mr. Laga’aia said with tongue planted firmly in cheek.

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