Stirring interest as a freshly original film, “Taken 3” entered cinemas Jan. 1. The wholly standalone film marks a part of Hollywood that is not repetitive but rather highly innovative. While some criticize “Taken 3” for being an all-too-predictable carbon copy of its predecessors “Taken” and “Taken 2,” “Taken 3” represents a new side of Hollywood—the willingness to make a sequel for any movie. “Taken 3” was undoubtedly a brilliant idea—who would have thought of having two sequels following the same idea—and is one of the few totally unwarranted film in the history of cinema.

“Taken 3” is the story of a Liam Neeson, a man who has had things taken from him twice previously. After his ex-wife Lenore (Famke Janssen) is murdered, Bryan Mills, Neeson’s character, goes on a rampage to take back his daughter. Director Olivier Megaton manages to take a slightly original angle, but the plot fundamentally remains the same as those of “Taken 2” and “Taken.” Needless to say, Neeson took his role seriously, but the highly original nature of the plot really highlights the interaction between Neeson and his fellow cast, which is innovative, revolutionary, and unprecedented.

While “Taken 3” deviates slightly from its prequels, it has the same general plotline: a rogue ex-CIA agent kills people in his mission to achieve his goals. But this isn’t just the plot of the previous films in this particular series; this appears to be a recurring trope in modern films. In fact, you would be hard-pressed to find a film about the CIA without this trope in some degree, citing “Equalizer” as a recent example. The soundtrack and special effects are no doubt top-quality, as many Hollywood films’ effects are.

“Taken 3” is a breath of fresh air in the midst of overwhelmingly repetitive franchises. When analyzing the ways Megaton managed to make the film highly similar to its predecessors, one cannot help but marvel at the creativity involved. It is hard to see why any film critic would find issues with the film—other boring films like “Imitation Game” deserve the undue criticism that “Taken 3” is receiving right now.

“Taken 3” no doubt features a stunning performance from the cast. It is similar to its siblings, making it novel and exciting. It bolsters the already-pervasive action trope in Hollywood. Given that this style of sequel creation is highly original, it is advisable, Hollywood, to continue releasing films that are very state-of-the-art. Lest action movies lose all cinematic value forever, directors must look to these character tropes and continue to reuse the same ideas—again and again and again.