"Lambada" focuses on a conservative math teacher in a Beverly Hills high school who is successful in the classroom and beloved by his peers. He's a family man with a devoted wife and son.
Each night, while Mom cleans up the kitchen and sonny has gone to bed, the teacher dons an earring, a black leather jacket over a T-shirt and rides his motorcycle into East Los Angeles, where he teaches math to underprivileged minority kids to help them get high school diplomas. (We are told he was adopted and raised by a Mexican couple and this is his payback.)
But he doesn't teach these kids in a classroom, though one would think he could find a local school willing to open its doors for such a worthy cause. Instead _ ostensibly to reach the kids _ he goes to their turf, a lambada dance club called "No Man's Land." He does some dirty dancing with the kids (his wife doesn't know about this part), then teaches them geometry in a back room.
Right.
Unfortunately, his cover is blown when a student from the Beverly Hills school, who has a crush on him, drops by the club one night and spots him. The so-called action builds to a climax when the Beverly Hills kids go up against the East L.A. kids in a "Super Quiz" math test.
If you can't guess the outcome you've never been to a movie in your life.
"Lambada" is utterly preposterous, develops no realistic characters and ends on a preachy get-an-education and let's-all-be-friends note.
It does occasionally attempt some humor. It fails every time, but does make the attempt.