James Cameron's 1997 epic "Titanic" stirred the heart of millions of moviegoers. But now, as the filmmaker brings "Titanic 3D" into theatres, Cameron admits it took time to make an emotional connection to this ship and its tragic story.

The first time that Cameron saw the wreck of the doomed luxury liner, the underwater dive to the ship's grave failed to stir any real emotions for the "Titanic" director.

"I was very focused and very task-oriented trying to be a filmmaker and trying to get my shot list," Cameron told CTV's Canada AM on Thursday during an interview aired from New York.

"It wasn't until my second dive that I actually let myself connect emotionally to the wreck," Cameron confessed.

That moment came when Cameron and his crew took a lunch beak inside their small sub parked on the deck of the wrecked ship, which sank making its maiden voyage across the North Atlantic on April 15, 1912.

In that instant, Cameron looked out the porthole and realized they were sitting exactly where the Titanic's band had sat and played as the ship went down.

"It suddenly hit me that I needed to spend more time thinking about where I was as opposed to the mechanics of what I was doing," said Cameron.

"That really changed things for me, a lot, about my relationship to the wreck and to the tragic events," he said.

‘Titanic 3D' enriches Cameron's 1997 film

In 1997, Cameron's epic blockbuster "Titanic" resurrected this maritime disaster which killed more than 1500 people on April 15, 1912.

Indeed, for millions of moviegoers today Cameron's movie remains the perfect re-telling of one of the worst tragedies of the 20th century.

But according to critics, Cameron's latest effort, "Titanic 3D" has only improved the experience of the 1997 blockbuster.

The Washington Post praised the film's "flawless sense of detail, pacing, import and dread."

The Wall Street Journal said "Titanic 3D" "deepened and enriched a film that was already in emotions.

Even Rolling Stone film critic Peter Travers lauded Cameron's efforts, calling "Titanic 3D" "pretty damn dazzling."

That praise, in large part, is due to Cameron's painstaking efforts to convert his Oscar-winning blockbuster to 3D.

"We added value and a kind of vibrancy to the experience," said Cameron.

The filmmaker took 60 weeks to complete this project. By contrast, many filmmakers in recent years have converted 2D films to 3D in a matter of weeks.

"The problem is that Hollywood is trying to do 3D incorrectly," said Cameron.

"They're just sort of trying to shoehorn it into post-production and it's the wrong way to do it. The results aren't worth the extra money," he said.