PROFESSOR MARSTON AND THE WONDER WOMEN

Wonder Woman creator William Moulton Marston led an interesting life, many elements from which can be found in his famous female superhero creation.  Professor Marston and the Wonder Women is a biopic that explores Marston's relation ship with two important women -- and how it all led to Wonder Woman.

The movie opens in the 1940s, with William Mounton Marston (Luke Evans) being grilled on the salacious elements of his Wonder Woman comic book by Josette Frank (Connie Britton), a member of the morality police.  This is intercut with flashbacks to Marston's life.

In the 1920s, Marston was a professor at Harvard, teaching the then-new science of psychology and working on inventing the lie detector; he also teaches his students DISC theory, which includes dominance and submission elements and the idea that women would do better running the world than men.  He worked with his wife Elizabeth (Rebecca Hall), a blunt-spoken psychologist who's unhappy she's not being given the same degree as her male counterparts.

Olive Byrne (Bella Heathcote) is a student of Marston's who also becomes his research assistant.  She also inspires a tangle of emotions and desires between the three people, leading to the two main sections of the movie.  Early on, there's a question of what will happen, as everyone seems attracted to each other (though Olive has a fiancee).  Later in the movie, they adopt their "unconventional lifestyle" and deal with the consequences, both good and bad.

Professor Marston and the Wonder Women is an enjoyable look at some unusual people.  The movie is very pro-kink, as the intricate connection between the trio is more than just a man wanting to be with two women, but all of them having relationships with each other.  While not heavy-handed, the movie shows how experiences in Marston's life became part of Wonder Woman's world, from the lie detector becoming the lasso of truth to a BDSM demonstration (and prototype for Wonder Woman's costume).  The actors are all good, though Rebecca Hall has the most fun as the woman always ready with a quip or sarcasm.  Given the popularity of the recent Wonder Woman movie, this is an informative (and adults-only) look at how she came to be.

Overall grade: B+
Reviewed by James Lynch