Even though it poured down rain that didn’t calm the fire in the hearts of thousands of Star Wars fans that showed up. I talked to people that came from all over the country to take part in this huge event. It was not quite what I expected but I am glad that I went.

Among the guests were Jake Loyde (Anakin Skywalker), Ray Park (Darth Maul), Ahmed Best (Jar Jar Binks), Anthony Daniels (The Professor) and producer Rick McCallum. I didn’t get to see them all though, not enough time. Most people there had a three-day pass, that seems to be the only way anyone can see everything there. I also saw many characters including: three Stromtroopers (one was a Sandtrooper), The Man Boba Fett, Darths Vader and Maul, one of the Sandpeople, Chewie and a weird alien that I think is one of the members of the Jedi Council in the new movie.

There was a life-size X-wing fighter and Anakin’s Podracer, minus the engines, as well as many other props from all four films. They had a display of some of the models that they used for the movies including The Millennium Falcon, AT-ST, Y-wing Fighter and life-size battle droid and C3PO (the unfinished one from The Phantom Menace). There was a cool Time-line that showed every step that the Star Wars Phenomenom has taken over the past Twenty years.

The only disappointment was that the majority of the floor space was used for Marketing, I would have preferred more props and stuff, but they gotta pay the bills. They had all kinds of merchandise, everything from Hasbro’s new line of toys to blow-up furniture depicting Episode 1 characters, anyone want a chair with Sebulba’s face on it? Lego’s inside booth displayed not only the Lego sets that came out for the first trilogy but the new Episode 1 sets as well. Being a Lego collector this is where most of my time and pictures were spent, taking pictures of not only the Lego sets but also the life-size Darth Vader, R2D2 and Battle Droid that they built out of the little bricks. Lego had an outdoor tent where anyone could stop by and help in building a Super Stardestoyer out of Lego Bricks. There was a big demo of the dozen or so Episode 1 games that are coming out for the PC, Super Nintendo and Play Station. And THX had an awesome demo of a home theatre system.

In order to buy any of the merchandise that these booths were demonstrating you had to wait in a two-hour line. I wasn’t going to do that so I guess I will have to wait for my Lego Naboo Fighter. The store wasn’t selling the Duel of the Fates Single or I would have had to wait in line.

All in all, it was an awesome experience going to this once in a lifetime event and Fun was had by all.

Dan (UK)

I was quoting from Empire Strikes Back when Han solo refers to C3PO as "the professor". "Chewie take the Professor in the back and plug him into the Hyperdrive!" Sorry, I guess I have watched those movies too many times.

Dan (UK)