Those happy little blue elves from the '80s are coming back in all-new digital form. The CGI Smurfs movie is coming to theaters next Christmas from Sony Pictures Animation.

Smurf web site PVC Blue has the first shot of their new look. Not-so-surprisingly, they appear a lot like the Smurfs of old. To be exact, they look like the little plastic figures which started the blue craze.

Here's where I admit an embarrassing tidbit about myself: I collected Smurfs as a kid.

Gasp!

Yes, back in the early '80s I had a bunch of the painted plastic lumps. I even watched the Saturday morning cartoon religiously. In amongst my toy box filled mostly with Star Wars stuff, you'd find an occasional Smurf.

I recently rediscovered a dusty shoebox of old Smurfs at my parents' house. My first thought upon discovery wasn't a fond remembrance of days gone by. No, I thought to myself, "I wonder if this crap is worth any money?"

I dismissed the question and instead gave them to my daughter. She grabbed them up faster than if Gargamel himself had found them. They were as enchanting to her as they were to me as a kid.

It became obvious to me then that this movie is going to be big. Smurfs are an '80s toy dying for a film resurrection. Hey, if Transformers and G.I. Joe can do it, why can't these little blue dudes?

What do you think? Are we ready to accept the Smurfs back into popular culture? Will the movies (there will be three eventually) be successful? Let us know.

To my fellow former Smurf-files, a new set of cartoons titled The Smurfs: Smurfy Tales was just released on DVD. A third volume, The Smurfs: World of Wonders, will be available on Nov. 17.

- Paul