In “LEGO Marvel Avengers: Strange Tails” from Disney Plus, Earth’s mightiest heroes face their most chaotic enemy yet—not Thanos, not Ultron, but something far more sinister: social media. This same force that can make a dance trend go viral now threatens to unleash a catastrophic apocalypse.
The story begins when a mischievous influencer livestreams Magneto tossing bricks (literally) at the Avengers. What starts as clickbait spirals into a global event, culminating in a “Cats vs. Avengers” showdown. Amid the memes and mayhem, Hawkeye realizes that this battle isn’t about saving the planet—it’s about keeping the algorithm.
The voice cast expertly captures the tone: Troy Baker brings dry wit to Hawkeye, keeping things grounded, while James Mathis III gives Black Panther a regal gravitas. Jason Alexander’s portrayal of Magneto, which combines ego and exhaustion, steals scenes like he’s auditioning for a stand-up special titled “Mutants and Microphones”. Meanwhile, Alia Shawkat’s Meryet perfectly embodies influencer chaos, channeling a mix of Loki and Logan Paul.
Director Ken Cunningham, along with writers Eugene Son and Henry Gilroy, clearly understands the magic of LEGO: they take the absurd, add self-aware humor, and never forget the heart beneath the plastic. The result is an adventure that serves as both a commentary on our obsession with likes and views and a love letter to Marvel’s animated legacy.
Final Grade: B
“LEGO Marvel Avengers: Strange Tails” is available to stream now on Disney+.
My introduction to Nate Dogg goes back to Dr. Dre’s 1992 debut, The Chronic, and the song “Deeez Nuuuts.” Even then, something about Nate’s voice set him apart from everybody else. He wasn’t just singing on rap records. He was bringing soul, gospel, street knowledge, and West Coast cool into the same space. He set the standard for hook singers in hip-hop, and dare I say, he’s still vastly underrated.
For this week’s Slow Jam Saturday, I wanted to give Stevie Wonder his due as he prepares to celebrate the 50th anniversary of his masterpiece, “Songs in the Key of Life,” on tour. While the easy choice could have been “Knocks Me Off My Feet”—a classic that still resonates fifty years later—I chose “From the Bottom of My Heart,” the second single from his twenty-third studio album, “A Time to Love,” released in 2005.
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