Sam Worthington in Avatar: The Way of Water (20th Century Studios)

Avatar: The Way of Water is somehow here after a long 13-year wait, and it deserves to be seen on the biggest movie screen possible, preferably in IMAX (or, as I did, in Dolby Cinema). But above all else, this Avatar sequel is another reminder that people should stop assuming James Cameron can’t live up to his own hype.

Few filmmakers have Cameron’s clout to do whatever he wants, and his reputation speaks for itself, from revolutionizing visual effects with Terminator 2: Judgement Day’s T-1000 to claiming 11 Titanic Oscars to simply making some of the best sequels ever (Aliens, Terminator 2). Yet Avatar has always been his paradoxical odd man out, a sci-fi epic whose plot has been widely mocked as Dancing with Wolves featuring giant 10-foot-tall blue aliens, the Na’vi on the moon Pandora. That label isn’t unwarranted, and The Way of Water’s plot, while less White savior-y, is still quite basic. Yet in terms of scope, graphics, and tangible worldbuilding for Pandora, The Way of Water is a jaw-dropping achievement, to say the least.

Unlike its predecessor, Cameron’s follow-up is 95 percent alien-centric. The first Avatar ended with Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) transferring his mind into a Na’vi avatar. By the time of the sequel begins, he has fully adjusted to living as one of them. He and Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) now raise a family of four: three kids, Neteyam (Jamie Flatters), Lo’ak (Britain Dalton), and Tuk (Trinity Jo-Li Bliss), are theirs biologically, while one, Kiri (Sigourney Weaver), is adopted. She’s the mysterious offspring of the avatar of scientist Grace Augustine (played by Weaver) from the first film. Another, a feral human named Spider (Jack Champion), regularly tags along on missions and sees himself as part of the family. As one would expect, the Na’vi’s peace is temporary, upended when the Sky People (Earth’s Resources Development Association conglomerate) return more determined to claim mineral-rich Pandora than ever before. Nor have they forgotten the former human who blew up their business investment: Jake.

Without spoiling too much, The Way of Water’s opening act showcases just how much Sky People technology has grown, such as a revived Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang), one of many recombinant operatives for its new mission. With few good options left, Jake and his family are forced to change homes and seek refuge among Pandora’s more aquatic tribe, the Metkayina, who possess a stronger bond to the ocean than the forest. Though literally out of their element, Jake’s family must learn to master this new environment and its creatures before Quaritch’s troops find them and, in turn, threaten the Metkayina’s ecosystem.

This story is, for all its alien terminology, very simple, and that fits Cameron’s MO. He’s always been a filmmaker who builds straightforward stories around groundbreaking spectacles rarely matched by other filmmakers. Indeed, I dare you hard to look at every inch of Pandora and not want to touch it, from the massive treetops to its gorgeous underwater wildlife—the movie certainly tempts you. Or to look at the Na’vi and not see anything but real aliens. Much of The Way of Water takes place underwater, following Jake’s kids as they learn to swim and mount plesiosaur/winged crocodile-inspired beings for travel and battle purposes. (It should be pointed out that Cameron had his cast perform underwater). Perhaps it goes without saying, but scenes are geared less around dialogue and more around atmosphere.

Though filled with occasional tropey moments—too much of act II is occupied by Lo’ak’s quarrels with tribal bullies and Kiri’s mysterious psychic abilities—this is a movie flaunting its next-generation visuals with 110 percent confidence, which has always been the pro-environmentalist Avatar’s selling point. It’s one thing to show the charming bond between a teen Na’vi and an alien whale-like tulkun, but another to convey that bond through the aquatic visuals and small non-verbal gestures.

The Way of Water isn’t exactly a movie out of time, but its throwback epic appeal is notable. After all, since Cameron’s first Avatar dropped, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has gradually evolved from an aspiring genre to become Hollywood’s dominant IP. Avatar, despite being as much an IP as Marvel, doesn’t seem to fit the mold. There’s a story at play with universal themes of family and fatherhood, but the movie really wants you to be astonished by its ecosystem before engaging with its characters. But if this is what Cameron can pull off with The Way of Water, then count me in for his sequels. Avatar’s potential might really be out of this world after all.