Dark-chocolate Force hits the candy aisle

Believe it or not, some of us aren’t counting the days until the premiere of the new “Star Wars” film. But if it took a new installment in the sci-fi series to get dark chocolate M&Ms on the shelves of my local supermarket, you can count me as the world’s newest “Star Wars” fan.

It seems crazy that in its 64-year history, M&Ms have never gotten the dark chocolate treatment. But in a new promotion tied to “Episode III: Revenge of the Sith,” the candies have gone to the dark side.

And all I can say is, what took them so long? True dark chocolate fans may find that the candies don’t have quite the bitter bite of pricier dark chocolates, but for less than a dollar for a king-size package, it’s a trade-off worth making.

Look for M&Ms Darth Mix wherever you normally get your chocolate fix. (Warning: The candies come in “dark side” colors such as maroon and silver. Don’t buy them if you have a problem with black candy.)

Dark chocolate M&Ms aren’t around forever – they’ll be available just a few weeks past the film’s release.