Not entirely of course, because as the other movies this does live with a lot of humor. But having said that, there are quite a few serious things that are happening in this. And they work too, especially if you are invested in the characters. So while the other movies worked standalone, this one probably won't have the same impact if you haven't seen at least one of the other 3 movies that have been made until now.
Since I haven't read the books yet, I still can't talk about how they fare in direct competition to the movies. But I do know that the characters are more than well established and even with a couple of new ones thrown in, it won't bring the house down. The opposite is the case, the environment of the movie makes it easy for anyone new to really come in and do their thing. Murder mystery is the main driving theme ... but there is so much more here ... If that floats your boat, then enjoy
Since I haven't read the books yet, I still can't talk about how they fare in direct competition to the movies. But I do know that the characters are more than well established and even with a couple of new ones thrown in, it won't bring the house down. The opposite is the case, the environment of the movie makes it easy for anyone new to really come in and do their thing. Murder mystery is the main driving theme ... but there is so much more here ... If that floats your boat, then enjoy