File this under: Better late than never.

I finally got out this week to see Marvel's Ant-Man in theaters, and I'm so glad I did. I won't go so far as to say it's the BEST Marvel Studios movie I've seen, but I'll say this; it's darn near the most PERFECT Marvel Studios movie I've seen.

Cut from very familiar cloth (it IS Marvel after all), and borrowing many action movie/heist movie/comic book movie devices along the way, Ant-Man is a fast-paced, witty, action backed and wholly satisfying member of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Paul Rudd (like Chris Pratt) makes a welcome addition to the square-jawed, morally centered heroes that embody the universe around them. He's NOT a big, strapping superhero... at all. But he's a hero nonetheless. In a typical Marvel scenario, a down on his luck, ordinary human being has a gift bestowed upon him that will either make him or break him. Rudd's Scott Lang, at first reluctant, fully embraces the hero mantle and accepts responsibly for his past actions and his life going forward. I can't spoil much at this point so I will tell you there is happy ending and a promise to see more of Ant-Man in the future.

I'm not really familiar with the Scott Lang incarnation, I'm more old school, so Hank Pym is my Ant-Man. And in this movie Dr. Hank Pym and Hank Pym as Ant-Man both appear and play a major role in the story. When Michael Douglas was first cast as Pym, I had no idea what they were going for. I mean, the last time I saw Pym in a comic book he was the wife-beating egotist who had given birth to Ultron! But he is a much gentler, wiser, redeemed Hank Pym in this go 'round. When we see him on screen for the for the first time those miracle-working digital artists have de-aged him and put him in the same room with an older Peggy Carter (Haley Atwell) and a much older Howard Stark (John Slattery). That feat of movie magic alone was worth the price of my matinee ticket!

In the Marvel Comic Book Universe Hank Pym's partner is his wife, Janet Van Dyne, also known as that other shrinking superhero; The Wasp. In the Cinematic Universe however, The Wasp has met her fate while helping Ant-Man save the world (sometime in the 80s). So enter Pym's new ally, his daughter Hope. Played by Evangeline Lily (“Lost”, “The Hobbit”), Hope is full of spit and vinegar and could surly take up the mantle of Ant-Man herself. She's smart, tough, and good with her fists. I like the Hope Van Dyne/Pym character because she's not a damsel in distress and she's not a patsy or the (strictly) love interest for the hero. She's pretty cool, and as (SPOILER) the mid-credit scene shows, she will get her chance to be a costume-wearing hero herself.

A classic Ant-Man villain makes his big screen debut as well, the menacing Yellowjacket! Corey Stoll (House of Cards, Strain) stars as Darren Cross, and evil scientist hell-bent on exploiting Pym's original shrinking research for personal and financial gain. (Sound familiar?)

Stoll is wonderful and over-the-top is his role and it it's exactly what's needed for this villain. Cross/Yellowjacket is the anti-Pym/Ant-Man. As is the case in MANY Marvel stories the hero is pitted against his opposite and his equal, figuratively fighting himself to prove he's worthy of the hero mantle or the redemption, etc., etc.

Ant-Man is not a BIG film, pun intended. It is not aliens invading New York or killer robots run amok around the world, instead it's man vs. man, good vs. evil in San Francisco. Scott Lang in not an Avenger, nor is he a super-soldier or a Norse god. He's us, J. Q. Public, divorced, and ex-con behind on his child support but who loves his daughter and is looking for a second chance. Ant-Man is small and intimate; it is the quintessential Marvel story featuring the quintessential Marvel hero. As I watched the credits roll I kept thinking to myself: Imagine what Marvel Studios could have done with Spider-Man!

Ant-Man has tons of action, amazing effects, great fight scenes, a LOT of humor and a great supporting cast (Bobby Cannavale, Michael Peña, Tip "T.I." Harris, Anthony Mackie, Wood Harris, Judy Greer, David Dastmalchian), and a cool soundtrack provided by Christophe Beck. And if you've never heard of Christophe Beck (I'll admit to it), give him a listen; he's been doing some great music for a lot of different projects.

No, Ant-Man is not a blockbuster like Captain America or The Avengers, but it is a great Marvel Studios film that perfectly fits the mold of both the Comic Book Universe and the Cinematic Universe. And (as revealed in the end credits scene) I can't wait to see a shake up of the status quo when Scott Lang does meet the Avengers next summer in Captain America: Civil War.