At thirty, Evans landed his first film audition and took on roles in Clash of the Titans (2010), Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll (2011) and Robin Hood (2012). But it was when he took on the role of Disney’s puffed-up Gaston in Beauty and the Beast (2017) that he really began to shine.
1. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
After the dawdling disappointments of An Unexpected Journey, Peter Jackson picks up the pace for this second Hobbit film. It has more action and better character interplay than its predecessor, but still feels like a padded outing. Its sweeping visuals can be impressive but often feel redundant, as does the constant repetition of Tolkien saga-speak.
But The Desolation of Smaug is saved by Benedict Cumberbatch’s blazingly good performance as Smaug, the spiky-voiced dragon who usurps the Lonely Mountain and its riches. His performance toggles between arrogance, indolence and rage in a way that hardly ever sounds forced or overdone.
Luke Evans is equally good as Bard the Bowman and also adds some heft as Thorin Oakenshield, whose macho persona is balanced by Martin Freeman’s laidback Bilbo Baggins. He also starred as Owen Shaw in the chase-filled action flick Fast & Furious 6 and in the sci-fi dystopian thriller High-Rise, as well as the Ian Dury biopic Sex Drugs Rock ‘n’ Roll and the drama Dracula Untold. He has more big screen roles in the pipeline including the live-action Beauty and the Beast and the American psychological thriller The Girl on the Train.
2. High-Rise
After skewering vampires and dragons, Evans took on another dark role in this ultra-violent British dystopian thriller about an apocalyptic future. The film centers on Dr. Laing, a man who moves into a luxury tower block in 1975 where everyone is free to pursue pleasure and power, but when the building’s infrastructure collapses and class warfare begins, it leads to anarchy.
Tom Hiddleston, Sienna Miller, Jeremy Irons, and Elizabeth Moss round out the solid cast. It’s a bit of a cop-out to call High-Rise Ben Wheatley’s vertical version of Snowpiercer, but the themes are virtually identical: rich against poor, narcissism and lust for power that lead to downright anarchy.
One of the smartest decisions Wheatley makes is to keep the period setting intact, which grants the film a certain gravity that wouldn’t have been possible if it were set in modern times. He also encourages a systemic view of the world — his set designer Mark Tildesley creates interiors that resemble the bomb-site aftermath of Lord of the Flies, while cinematographer Laurie Rose’s fluid camera work evokes Kubrick.
3. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Continuing the adventure begun in An Unexpected Journey, The Desolation of Smaug finds Bilbo Baggins joining Thorin Oakenshield and his fellow dwarves as they journey to the Lonely Mountain, seeking to reclaim their ancestral home and its vast treasure from the squatting dragon Smaug (played with suave, kingly distaste by Benedict Cumberbatch). Along the way, our heroes encounter vengeful orcs, escape the elvish forest of Mirkwood, survive a deadly confrontation within the ruins of Dol Guldur, and enter the great mountain of Erebor—all while Gandalf the Grey continues to investigate strange happenings.
While it occasionally retreads the ground covered in An Unexpected Journey, The Desolation is still a grandly entertaining epic. Its action is well-executed, featuring a wealth of set-pieces—from the awe-inspiring dragon-folk battle in the elvish dwarven city of Lake-Town to the political struggle in Erebor itself—while bolstered by a strong supporting cast including Lee Pace as Legolas and Evangeline Lilly as Tauriel. Peter Jackson proves himself an expert at big-league popular moviemaking, crafting a thrilling adventure tale with a sense of wonder worthy of the Indiana Jones films.
4. Fast & Furious 6
Despite some flaws (the overlong runtime, the lack of depth for some characters), this entry in the popular Fast and Furious franchise manages to overcome them. The yes movies film has a good balance of action, humor, and camaraderie between the cast. It’s also a great movie to watch with friends or family.
In this installment, Owen Shaw assembles an international team of thieves and criminals to steal high-tech devices worth billions on the black market. They’re nabbed by federal agent Hobbs, played by Dwayne Johnson. Evans’s character, Driver, is a ruthless and cunning mastermind. He delivers a chilling performance that’s charged with tension and violence.
Evans is best known for his roles as Bard the Bowman in Peter Jackson’s three-part adaptation of The Hobbit, and Dracula Untold. He’s also appeared in films such as The Girl on the Train and Flutter. In the future, he’s set to star as Gaston in Disney’s live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast, and psychologist William Moulton Marston in an upcoming biopic. The actor continues to deliver outstanding performances in each of his movies.
5. Dracula Untold
With his range of roles and on-screen presence, Luke Evans is one of the most versatile actors working today. He is able to handle both dramas and action movies with ease, bringing depth and intensity to his characters. He has been in many blockbusters, including Fast & Furious 6, Bard the Bowman in Peter Jackson’s Hobbit trilogy, and Dracula Untold.
In Dracula Untold, Evans plays Vlad Tepes, better known as the famous vampire. While the film does take some liberties with history, it is still an entertaining movie. The film also provides some gruesome scenes, which makes it a good choice for fans of horror and gore.
Luke Evans’s performance as Vlad is amazing. He portrays the character as a man who would do anything for his family, but with a dark undercurrent that could be deadly if unleashed. The film also includes some great action sequences and beautiful period costuming. In addition, the story is well-written and flows nicely, making it an enjoyable movie to watch.