The film was released simultaneously with rival film The Forbidden Dance; neither was well received, though Lambada was seen as 'the better of the two'.[1][2]
Using his dazzling dance moves to earn the kids' respect and acceptance, Kevin then teaches them academics in an informal backroom study hall. One of his students, Sandy (Melora Hardin) sees him at the club. The next morning at school while Kevin is teaching, Sandy daydreams that she and Kevin are dancing and he madly kisses her on his motorcycle. It's the best of both worlds, but when Sandy becomes a jealous and lovestruck student and she exposes Kevin's double life, his two worlds collide, threatening his job and reputation.
Lambada opened on March 16, 1990 at #8, and earned $2,031,181 to 1117 theaters.[3] It quickly fell from the box office with a scant $4,263,112, after receiving mixed reviews. It holds a 47% on Rotten Tomatoes.[citation needed]Kevin Thomas, in his review (of this film and The Forbidden Dance) for the Los Angeles Times, noted that both of them 'revive the spirit of Sam Katzman, who turned out similar quickies in the ‘50s to cash in on rock ‘n’ roll and the Twist'; he singled out Lambada as the 'slicker but more impersonally directed' of the two.[4] The two films also shared a review from Jon Pareles of The New York Times, who described Lambada as the 'glossier [and more] music-video-ready' of the two.[2]Owen Gleiberman paired the two films again in his review for Entertainment Weekly, where he described them as having 'all the allure of a frozen burrito'.[5] In yet another paired review of both films for The Washington Post, Rita Kempley dismissed them as 'pandering and exploitative'; she described Lambada as being 'far lighter on its feet with a flashier look and a professional cast'.[1]
On their syndicated television program, where Lambada was reviewed separately, Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert had an intense disagreement regarding the film. While noting Silberg's limitations as a director, Siskel praised the performances of the lead performers, and described it as 'an instant guilty pleasure [...] a film I'm almost embarrassed to admit held my attention [...] because I'm prepared to defend it now against Roger's sure attacks'. Ebert, who remarked that Siskel 'should be embarrassed' by his opinion of the film, viewed its dance sequences as 'badly lit, badly photographed, badly choreographed' and attacked the camera angles and story-line; he noted that he was 'stunned that anyone would make this picture'.[6]
Home video
Lambada was released on DVD on Apr 15, 2003.[citation needed]
