Ub Iwerks's Flip the Frog series of cartoons was short-lived, only lasting from 1930 to 1933. On the most part the Flip the Frog cartoons are not great or cartoon/animated masterpieces and it is sort of understandable as to why Flip didn't make it bigger. However they are far from terrible ones either and do hold some interest.
Despite not being historically significant like 'Fiddlesticks' was, 'Laughing Gas' for me is among the best Flip the Frog cartoons alongside up to this point 'The Village Barber' and particularly 'Cuckoo Murder Case'. It is not a great cartoon and has faults but there are things here that improve quite a bit and done much better than many other Flip the Frog cartoons.
A lot of good things in 'Laughing Gas'. The animation is decent enough, with beautifully detailed backgrounds, nice shading and characters that aren't drawn too crudely. The music makes even more of an impact, it is lushly and cleverly orchestrated, full of lively energy and not only adds brilliantly to the action it enhances it.
There are more sight gags than the previous Flip the Frog cartoons, and they are surprisingly funny. There is a nice natural charm, some zest and it does a better job than most Flip the Frog cartoons in not falling into sentimentality or cutesiness. Really liked the lively and surprisingly and wonderfully strange support.
However, 'Laughing Gas' has faults. Flip is still not a particularly compelling character personality-wise, a general fault with his cartoons. The story is very thin, there are signs of one at the start but it is completely neglected for the rest of the cartoon.
Occasionally the pace drags and while there is a lot to like 'Laughing Gas' is not a cartoon that has long-lasting staying power in one's mind.
In conclusion, decent and one of the better cartoons in the Flip the Frog series. 7/10 Bethany Cox