Originality is overrated. In reality it actually has little to do with quality. Just because a movie has similarities to another movie doesn’t mean it has “real flaws.” It’s as cheap a kind of film criticism as pointing out plot holes and continuity errors - very basic and surface level. If movies were actually judged by originality then a lot of classic movies would be widely considered flawed too (for example, the works of Tarantino, also a little movie called Star Wars).
Sorry, but that argument really doesn’t fly IMO. We’re speaking about a set of films that recycle heavily elements from previous entries in the same series both narratively and aesthetically, a series that was once known for it’s originality in many, many respects. In my view this once progressive franchise has now devolved into an endlessly self-referential pale shadow of its former self.