The Super Mario Bros Movie: brand power is as important as ever

Astonishing box office success a stark reminder of Nintendo’s greatest weapon — but are game adaptations really having a moment?

The unbelievable success of “The Super Mario Bros Movie” was largely unexpected but well-deserved. Does it set the tone for video game adaptations in general, though? (Image: Illumination/Universal)

Come on, let’s be honest about all this: most of us expected an animated film based on Nintendo’s famous characters to do well, sure, but… that…