Slow pace in the most part of the movie.

Most undeservingly overhyped movie of all time??

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

Middling musical filled with pretty people. Edmund Purdom may not have been the greatest actor but was an extremely handsome man. Jane and Debbie, in one of the several films they were paired in together in their early careers, are bubbly and fresh as sisters. The best performance comes from the terrific Louis Calhern as the somewhat daffy grandfather, with a twinkle in his eye and his breezy line readings he's a hoot. Interesting to compare Evelyn Varden's spacey Grandma here and her portrayal of the vicious Icey Spoon in the next year's Night of the Hunter. Probably the only movie, musical or otherwise that stops cold to have a Mr. Universe contest stuffed into it. Pleasant but minor.

MGM cast four of its biggest actors in this non-supernatural musical about an odd family living through health food, tons of exercise and visions through the stars. Jane Powell and Debbie Reynolds are two of the six sisters starstruck in love with two outsiders-staid businessman Edmund Purdom and TV singer Vic Damone. Evelyn Varden ("Pinky", "The Bad Seed") and Louis Calhern ("Annie, Get Your Gun", "The Magnificent Yankee") are their eccentric grandparents who run an easy-going but disciplined ship filled with body builders (including Steve Reeves), sunshine and nuts and berries. No sooner have Purdom and Damone become involved with them than strange things begin to happen to their personalities. Grandma warns the lovers that the stars are not in favor of these romances.A delightfully silly musical, "Athena" is probably the only MGM musical to feature practically naked men. They make their entrance into Varden and Calhern's dining room wearing only the briefest of briefs and sing along to a chorus of "Harmonize", making Purdom and Damone look like 90 pound weaklings. The songs are all wonderfully corny, especially a production number about re-decoration ("I Never Felt Better") lead by perky Reynolds. Powell gets the most beautiful song ("Love Can Change the Stars"), and seeing her as Reynolds' sister is a musical lovers dream. In fact, they had played sisters once before, in "Two Weeks With Love", and also appeared together in "Hit the Deck". When Reynolds left the Broadway musical "Irene" 20 years later, she personally chose Powell to replace her.Look for Virginia Gibson, one of the "Seven Brides", as another one of the "Six Sisters". There's even a reference to the same years "The Student Prince" which starred Purdom. I don't think MGM realized when it made this film of the gay overtones of the body builders which would later be seen on Broadway and the big screen with "Li'l Abner".

Not one of the better "B" musicals of MGM's golden age, but worth a look despite unusually cheap looking sets, mediocre choreography, and wooden Purdom. Debbie Reynolds sparkles with energy and talent, Jane Powell looks and sings beautifully. Some of the songs are musically fresh and innovative, others just serviceable. The satire of the new age and fitness lifestyles are surprisingly ahead of it's time, though often show ignorance of the real thing (Debbie Reynolds sings and dances a song where she happily sprays some DDT, for example). Interesting: Some of Debbie and Jane's "sisters" are also in the far superior "Seven Brides For Seven Brothers".

I love Jane Powell and have started collecting her movies on DVD. This is the first film I have seen. Jane Powell and Debbic Reynolds play 2 of 7 sisters who believe in the stars and a healthy lifestyle. I have no problem with a healthy lifestyle, but believing in the stars is bunk(take a star off for that). Jane courts Edmund Purdom and Debbie courts Vic Damone. Both men do a good job in the film and they have good chemistry with their partner. Jane, Debbie and Vic all sing and the songs are good, but not great(take another star away). The plot states that Jane must marry before Debbie can marry. Jane and Edmund like each other and then they meet one another's friends and the different lifestyle almost destroy the relationship. However, both try to make changes and they end up together in the end. Louis Calhern is a favorite of mine and he plays the girls grandfather. He is kind of the leader of the pack. I wished he had a bigger part. He only had three scenes in the movie. The other highlight of the film was seeing Jane in a nice short skirt while she served dinner. I really liked her figure. She is really a beautiful woman, especially with blonde hair. Overall this is a film worth watching.