I spent the past half-hour thinking how funny it would be if the attendees of a given school named after a famous person were forced to adopt the characteristics of their namesake. The kids at any school named after Martin Luther King, Jr. would answer all questions, no matter how trivial or technical, with fiery rhetoric aimed at combatting injustice; they would hold sit-ins every lunch period. The kids at Lincoln High School could all sport Amish beards and engage in extreme conflict resolution. Finally, los jóvenes del Instituto Frida Kahlo would be encouraged to grow unibrows and create self-protraits.
It just so happens that tough-as-nails Instituto Frida Kahlo is looking for help. Ok, so the kids are the kind of “trouble” that American scoff at: they seem to favor embarrassment and disruption as opposed to the kind of school where weapons need to be confiscated. There’s a big psychological difference between hijinks and malice. And yet, a teacher is driven to jump out a second story window all the same – in front of all the applicants, mind you. This clears the way for newly released con-man Zequi (Omar Chaparro) to score a coveted substitute teaching job – all so he can work nights excavating the loot he stole currently buried under the gymnasium.
If you stand still, you can see every.single.plot.point as if you’re standing on the median of an otherwise deserted highway while a distant motorcade slowly approaches. I really want to give it away, but I don’t even have to – unqualified man not interested in teaching, kids who don’t want to learn. Guess what’s gonna happen? And here’s a romantic subplot – dude blows off the hot Clark teacher, Lucy (Martha Higareda), claiming he’s not attracted. Is there a Spanish term for “Clark?” And she, of course, is only looking for a man with integrity, but they keep running into one another! [See above: what’s gonna happen?, Guess] Frida is one of those films that you desperately hope becomes palatable before the motorcade hits each and every plothole down that road.
That said, I actually did like the film. No manches Frida translates to “WTF Frida” … or at least my screen said it did. Zequi makes a nice transition from uncaring to caring; it helps that as uneducated, weathered felons go, he comes off as indifferent rather than cruel. Sure, he gets tarred and feathered and fights back 
with a paint gun, but the kids had it coming. His transition seems almost believable within the comic guidelines. And Zequi’s literary-challenged Romeo and Juliet is small treat along the way, as is his 180 toward Lucy. It’s almost like there’s two different versions of him … you know, Dos Zequis.
Before you get too jazzed about Mexican Bad Teacher, do note Zequi spikes a girl’s drink twice in this film. Doesn’t matter your intentions, that ain’t cool, ever, even in comic movie form … and it’s hard to root for a guy who spikes drinks. No idea if the German original had such a plot point, but that part needed to be rewritten. So don’t tell this was comic genius, but it was cute enough to recommend and nice to see a decent teen comedy aimed at Hispanics.
♪Comó me encontré con tu madre
Last night I dreamt up a movie
Just like I’d never known, the seeds were sown
Big jerk who becomes a teacher
It all seems like one despues, on TBS
Topical like Gabe Kotter
Kinda thinkin’ I ought ter
Own up to a film echo
Historia se repitió
And when he calms the crew
This mierda wasn’t new
Hurt my ears and stung my eyes
Your Mexican reprise♫
Rated PG-13, 100 Minutes
D: Nacho G. Velilla (mmmmm, Vanilla Nachos)
W: Dunno, but it’s a remake of the German film Fack ju Göhte
Genre: “Dangerous” “Minds”
Type of person most likely to enjoy this film: Hispanic teens
Type of person least likely to enjoy this film: Trump supporters
♪ Parody inspired by “La Isla Bonita”
