By Chuck Myers
Knight Ridder Newspapers

WASHINGTON - Ever wonder what a Wookie looks like up close?

Or better  yet, how about Darth Vader?

Well, get ready to make the jump to hyperspace, because  "Star Wars" has come to Washington, D.C.

More than 200 original costumes, props,  puppets, models and artworks used in the making  of the blockbuster movie trilogy have been lent by "Star Wars" creator George Lucas to the  Smithsonian Institution, for a special year-long exhibition at the National Air and Space Museum that opened last week.

"Star  Wars: The Magic of Myth" provides fans of the  movie series and the curious alike with a unique opportunity to enjoy intimately many of  the most familiar figures from "Star Wars. "

"My great pleasure in this exhibit is that it  is a chance for people to see up close some of  the very innovative design work and creativity  that has gone into the movies," said "Star Wars" creator and producer Lucas, who was on  hand for the show's media preview.

For the  legions of "Star Wars" faithful who were hooked  from the moment Obi-Wan Kenobi told young Luke Skywalker about an all-powerful "force" in the  first movie, the exhibit will prove nothing  short of galactic nirvana.

Just about every figure, gadget and accouterment precious to die-hard "Star Wars" fans is found here.

The show is organized chronologically to  parallel the movie trilogy.

The early  sections of the display contain many of the costumes in which "Star Wars" mainstays were  introduced. There's the space-age cowboy-like  garb that Harrison Ford (Han Solo) once donned; the royal white gown worn by Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia); the monk-like robe and Japanese style kimono that adorned Alec Guinness (Obi-Wan Kenobi); and the costumes for "Star Wars" key support figures R2-D2, C3-PO and the  mighty Chewbacca.

And there are the outfits  worn by the forces of evil: an Empire officer's  uniform and a Stormtrooper's white armor get-up.

A display case containing articles  from the Hoth ice planet sequence in "The  Empire Strikes Back" (the second movie)  includes the full length wampa, the furry white  cave beast that tried to make Luke his next meal. Lying almost innocuously next to Luke's Hoth uniform is one of the true icons of the "Star Wars" franchise: Luke's first light saber.
A few feet away in the center of the  same gallery sits the original figure of Yoda  -- everybody's favorite Jedi sage.

Many of  the display sections contain detailed concept  drawings and sequence illustrations that  provide an insightful glimpse into the creative process behind many of the costumes and  selected scenes in the movies.

Also woven  into the show is wall text that explores the philosophical and mythical premises behind  the "Star Wars" saga. Superficially, "Star  Wars" is a sweeping but simple tale of good versus evil.  Beneath the surface, the trilogy derives its character and look from many different sources, including the Bible, Greek mythology, Medieval legends, Zen Buddhism  and World War II history.

The exhibit  displays a number of items devoted to Jabba the Hutt and his underworld lair. The crime lord's  blobby likeness is here, as is the stylish slave outfit worn by Leia, and Han Solo frozen in carbonite hibernation.

Also found in this part of the exhibit are some of the key spacecraft models used in the filming of  "Star Wars," most notably two models -- one tiny, one large -- of the Millennium Falcon.

Rounding out the show is one of the more  captivating costumes found on view: the  imposing Samurai-like visage of Darth Vader. Like every other item in the show, the attention to detail in this now-familiar embodiment of the "dark side" is most impressive. What's even more surprising is the sheer size and height of the costume, and how it towers dramatically over a nearby display of Luke Skywalker's understated black Jedi outfit. It leaves one to wonder: How did Luke ever overcome Vader?

For those  fans who can't wait for the next "Star Wars"  movie, production on "Episode I" is well under way, and planned for a May 1999 release.

"Star Wars: The Magic of Myth" will remain on display at the Air & Space Museum for exactly one earth year, until Oct. 31, 1998.

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