It’s quite the challenge to stand out in the pantheon of Marvel superheroes–it’s becoming very crowded up there with all those super-sized egos and personas. But low and behold, the humble Ant Man makes a mighty entrance, and manages to crawl almost to the top of my superhero summit. Ant Man, as deftly played by Paul Rudd, is now second on my list of favorites.

First of all, his movie doesn’t take itself too seriously. It actually teeters on the brink of being a comedy, which is a good thing in my book. There is a lot of humor to be mined from guys flying around in skin tight superhero suits and doing amazing things. Why not laugh about it?

I know these movies are supposed to be fantastical comic book adaptations, but I still cringe at the collateral damage. Cities are destroyed, skyscrapers are laid to waste–and I can’t help but wonder, “Who’s gonna pay for that?” and “Who’s gonna clean that up?” I don’t even want to think about all the people who were working downtown when the battle that leveled their city broke out. I know, I know–it’s just a movie. But modern super heroes do tend to take life and property somewhat cavalierly.

Not so with Ant Man. When our hero does battle, particularly with a waspish Corey Stoll (who is fabulous as villain Darren Cross/Yellow Jacket), they shrink down to insectian proportions, duking it out on a Thomas the Train track, rather than a city block. When the perspective shifts up to real world sizes, it’s hilarious. The special effects are great fun — definitely worth the extra bucks to see it in 3D.

You’ll also enjoy watching Michael Douglas, whom we see all too little of these days, Evangeline Lily (Lost, Lord of the Rings), Michael Pena, Bobby Cannavale, Judy Greer, John Slattery and T.I. In just about every scene there’s another actor over whom you’ll exclaim, “I love that guy/girl!” The fun never stops in this summertime actioner, adroitly directed by Peyton Reed, also known for Bring It On and Down With Love, a couple of my favorite comedies.

Now some of you may have noted that at the beginning of this review I mentioned that Ant Man is the first runner up on my super heroes list, and a few of you might be wondering who holds the top spot. Anyone who knows me or reads what I write regularly already has a pretty good idea. The Norse god Chris Hemsworth…er…I mean Thor, will always reign supreme in my Asgardian heart. (Plus, I like to say the word “Asgard.”)

Rated PG-13

1 Hour 55 Minutes

Get times and tickets at Fandango.com.

ANT MAN Review: Whoops There Goes Another Rubber Tree Plant