Checking in on Betty Boop's dental disaster

Is it worth your time?

If you have a soft spot for the rubbery, slightly unhinged logic of 1930s animation, you might find this charming. If the idea of a dentist’s office run by a cartoon character gives you the creeps—well, you’re probably right to stay away.

Seriously, stay away.

The whole premise is just Betty and Koko playing doctor, but it feels more like a fever dream. The way the characters stretch and snap back into place is fascinating, but it also feels like watching a car crash in slow motion.

The laughing gas scene is the highlight, or the lowlight, depending on how you look at it. Everything just starts bubbling over and everyone is laughing until they are basically vibrating. It’s a lot.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Ha! Ha! Ha! (1934) through its definitive frames.

I couldn't help but think about how much more grounded some of the old stuff like The Lion and the Mouse felt in comparison. This? This is just pure, unadulterated chaos.

Observations from the chair

• The dental equipment looks more like torture devices than tools for a healthy smile.
• The rhythm of the laughter feels like it goes on for three weeks.
• Betty has this way of blinking that is almost hypnotic.
• The animation is super fluid, almost too smooth for its own good.

The transition between the patients and the gags is pretty much non-existent. It just jumps from one weird bit to the next without caring if you kept up. I’m not sure if that’s a flaw or a feature, honestly.

Watching this made me wonder if the animators were on the gas too. Some of the shapes the patients turn into are just... bizarre. It doesn’t have the narrative weight of something like Der junge Medardus, but it certainly has more teeth.

If you're looking for a relaxing watch, this isn't it. It's frantic, it's loud, and the background music sounds like a piano having a nervous breakdown. 🦷