Burger King, M&M’s, 7-11, Kellogg’s, Cingular Wireless, Legos, X-Box are all on board the Star Wars craze, but living in rural southwest Minnesota you may not even know that tonight, just moments after midnight, millions of people in America will fulfill their destiny.After 27 years of wondering and theorizing, Star Wars fans will finally see just what it is that makes Darth Vader so mean and nasty.Why does he need to choke people with his mind and destroy entire planets? Ten years ago Star Wars creator George Lucas began filming a new epic saga that would explain to fans and non-believers why the forces of good and evil in the cosmos were at odds in his famous trilogy.He decided to write, produce and direct three new movies that portrayed the stories leading up to Hans Solo and Luke Skywalker’s epic adventures with Princess Leah and a Wokie named Chewbacca.WARNING: I am a Star Wars Fan.Beginning with Episode I - The Phantom Menace Star Wars fans saw a young boy, not much older than nine, being trained by Jedi Masters. Fans of the original movies recognized his name, Anakin Skywalker, and knew that this boy would become Darth Vader, the face of the Dark Side.This movie and its follow-up, Episode II - Attack of the Clones, developed a cosmic plot complete with politics, racism, war and of course a battle between what is good and what is evil.Even casual viewers of the original movies would agree that Darth Vader is a part of the evil side of the force regardless of whose father he might have been. Most fans side with Yoda and the evil one’s son, Luke Skywalker.The first two installments in the new movie trilogy conflict with the first trilogy by painting an easier-to-like picture of Anakin Skywalker. This is especially the case in the second movie when the actor playing Anakin is a handsome, young, blonde actor named Hayden Christensen. In fact, you almost feel bad for him as he is taken from his mother and forced to travel to battle at such a young age.This brings me to the final episode opening tonight in movie theaters. How will Lucas be able to make a new generation of kids, who admire this younger, cooler version of Darth Vader, understand that he is evil?I just can’t figure out how it will happen.Most of the commercials for the afore-mentioned products are using the traditional Darth Vader (in a black mask, breathing heavily) as a marketing tool, further committing a generation of new fans to the Dark Side.I was a child of the original movies, I cheered for Princess Leah and the Ewoks, I loved Yoda, and I even base some aspects of my life on his teachings."Once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny, consume you it will...""Always in motion is the future."I fear that this new generation, which has many evils in their real world, is going to fall for the Dark Side. They will have sympathy for Lord Vader and accept the excuses Lucas is giving us for his behavior.How will that kind of attitude translate onto our playgrounds and baseball fields this summer?Only time will tell, but I urge you to be smart Star Wars consumers. Star Wars is one of the all-time moneymaking franchises, generating nearly $3.4 billion in global box office cash and $9 billion in retail sales since 1977. Most of the collectors’ memorabilia being offered at 7-11 and Burger King will not be worth what consumers are paying for it.Story ideas or comments can be emailed to Lexi Moore at lexim@star-herald.com or called in at 962-3561.