It’s about time that a tiny superhero got to kick dirt in the face of the other heroes in the Marvel universe. I’m talking about Scott Lang (Paul Rudd, well cast), a small-time thief who just got out of prison. He can’t seem to find a decent job, his friends are all crooks, and his wife ditched him for a douchy cop (Bobby Cannavale). Luckily, Scott meets Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas, as good as always), a scientist whose particle research has resulted in a suit that can reduce a man to ant size. We learn that Dr. Hank wants to use our man for a top secret mission. And yet in the wrong hands, this suit can result in mass destruction. Intrigued? You should be. I don’t want to give away more than I should (plenty of other people seem to be doing that) but other characters, well played by Michael Pena, Corey Stoll and Evangeline Lilly, also figure in the unfolding storyline. Director Peyton Reed maintains a lively pace, and balances superior action and visual-effects set-pieces with passages that depend on the charisma of its leading man. Paul Rudd more than fits the bill (I just can’t hate this guy), as he gives us a Scott Lang to remember. We get to see and feel what his character goes through when he shrinks, and with today’s technology, movies like “The Incredible Shrinking Man” and “Honey, I Shrunk The Kids” seem like they were made centuries ago. But even without all these visual effects, “Ant-Man” still has an interesting story to tell. It wouldn’t be fair to compare it with “Iron Man” or “The Avengers”,  but taken on its own terms, it’s a smart, funny and highly enjoyable piece of summer entertainment. I’m sure Marvel fans will welcome it with open arms.

Rating: 3/4