Digital-visual effects have transformed the movies during the past decade. One of the most dazzling examples is the reconstruction of the Parthenon in Greg MacGillivray’s dynamic new IMAX travelogue, “Greece: Secrets of the Past.”

MacGillivray’s floating cameras swoop around the fabulous Athens ruin, as tourists explore the exterior and what’s left of a 40-foot statue that was originally made of gold and ivory. Then, as the visitors gawk, the broken columns are filled in, the paint is restored, the cracks disappear and the glittering statue suddenly towers above them, seemingly ready to spring to life.

For the first time in more than 2,000 years, the Parthenon looks as it must have looked when the paint was still fresh. It’s a miraculous moment, possible only because of recent advances in digital technology, and it’s easily worth the price of admission by itself.

“Greece: Secrets of the Past,” IMAX documentary directed by Greg MacGillivray, from a screenplay by Stephen Judson and Jon Boorstin. 40 minutes. Not rated; suitable for general audiences. Pacific Science Center.

“Greece” will play through May at the Pacific Science Center’s Boeing IMAX Theater. Joining it in mid-March will be the latest IMAX 3-D production, “Deep Sea 3D.”

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