'Avatar: The Way of Water' is an astounding epic that needs to be seen on the biggest screen possible — and in 3D

• "Avatar: The Way of Water" is the new benchmark in CGI blockbuster filmmaking.
• James Cameron mixes amazing visuals with an emotional story.

That's right, it's really happening. The long-awaited, long-delayed "Avatar" sequel is in the can and, on Friday, will be available to witness with your own eyeballs.

This is a very good thing.

In 2009, James Cameron's epic love story "Titanic" was still the biggest box-office earner of all time. That is, until he broke his own record with "Avatar," a different kind of epic than the one that made Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet household names. "Avatar" pushed the abilities of 3D and computer graphics to tell the story of paraplegic human Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) who, thanks to an avatar and a trip to a distant moon called Pandora, befriends its people called the Na'vi and helps them overrun the human colonizers.

Thirteen years later, Cameron brings us back to Pandora with "Avatar: The Way of Water," making movie history once more.

Time will tell if it will break the same box-office record as his previous two releases, but from just one viewing, I can say that, as much as the first "Avatar" was a visual marvel, it pales in comparison to what Cameron and his team have pulled off with the sequel.

The textures and nuances of "The Way of Water" are unlike anything I've seen before. You may have heard Cameron say that it blows away the look of the CGI/motion capture used for Thanos in the MCU. Not a small feat, but this is not hyperbole. Watching "The Way of Water" is seeing the future of big blockbuster movies where the CGI is so crisp and beautiful (especially with 3D) that it's impossible for the eye to not think it's real.

We have been down this road before. Dinosaurs coming to spectacular life in Steven Spielberg's "Jurassic Park" in 1993 became the CGI standard and even motivated George Lucas to go forward with the "Star Wars" prequels. Now "The Way of Water" is the new benchmark, which is quite an accomplishment seeing how every single movie today uses some form of computer-graphic effect in its post-production process.

But visuals can't be the only thing — there needs to be a story, and that has proven to be Cameron's greatness over his entire career. Whether it be "Terminator," "The Abyss," "Titanic," or "Avatar," the state-of-the-art look is what pulls you in, but it's the story that makes them unforgettable.

In "The Way of Water," we pick things up following the events of "Avatar." Jake has gone from an avatar to half-human-half-Na'vi. He's built a family with his partner Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña), and life seems great.

Then the humans return.

With a dying Earth, the humans come back to Pandora to try to colonize once more. This time, they have better machines, which build their infrastructure on the moon even quicker, and a military that can clone Marines into Na'vi.

Jack realizes that the humans only want him, not the rest of his clan, so he relinquishes his leadership role, packs up his family, and travels to the faraway islands on Pandora.

Here is where the main story of "The Way of Water" takes place.

It's the home of the Metkayian clan, who, due to their oceanic roots, have aqua-color skin as opposed to the blue skin of the Omaticaya clan that Neytiri is from.

Jake and his family are welcomed into the tribe and must learn the ways of the Metkayians and their underwater habits.

Once more, the visuals are dazzling as many of the shots take place under the water. No disrespect to "Aquaman" or other blockbusters that take place under the sea, but there's nothing that compares to the underwater photography Cameron displays here.

Water has been a theme in many of the director's works from "The Abyss," to "Titanic," and even "Terminator 2" with the liquid metal T-1000. For "The Way of Water," he uses that love as a center point for both the story's plot and its spiritual undertones.

Take the Tulkuns, for example. These whale-like underwater creatures are the spirit animals of the Metkayinas. Highly intelligent, they can communicate with the Metakayians and are sophisticated enough to create music. We learn that they are hunted by the humans, which leads to a powerful subplot in the movie. (Yes, I got emotional watching CGI whales.)

As you'd imagine, the humans track down Jake and his family, leading to a thrilling conclusion, that tests the Sullys and their strong bond. This will certainly be a focal point with any "Avatar" movies going forward.

If there's one knock I have on the movie, it's that it has many of the same story beats that the original had. But it's far from a carbon copy. With an over-three-hour running time, Cameron delivers on not just expanding the mythology of the franchise but creating a story that would still be fully engaging if you had never seen the first one.

But just like the first movie, you need to see this one on a massive screen, preferably in 3D. You won't be disappointed.

Along with Worthington and Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver and Stephen Lang return and deliver impressive roles in very different ways. Cliff Curtis is great as the Metkayina leader and Kate Winslet as his wife, Ronal, doesn't have a lot of screen time but makes her moments count.