Really like to love a vast majority of Popeye's cartoons and the character himself. If more Fleischer's output than Famous Studios'. Fleischer's Popeye cartoons tended to be funnier, more imaginative and better made. Famous Studios' on the most part entertained though their later Popeye, and overall filmography actually, cartoons had tighter deadlines and lower budgets evident which accounted for the animation not being as good, less surprises and the material not as imaginative.
While not one of my all time favourite Popeye cartoons, 'Olive's Sweepstake Ticket' is still a winner. It is a contender for the best cartoon of the series from 1941, and for a cartoon made when Fleischer Studios had declined drastically it is hugely impressive. It stands out because it is one of the funniest and also it is not as predictable as one fears, being something of a change of pace. Refreshing considering that the studio generally had run out of ideas and 'Olive's Sweepstake Ticket' is proof that the studio had not completely lost it.
Olive is underused, which is not uncommon for the Popeye series and yeah maybe it could have been goofier in places.
However, 'Olive's Sweepstake Ticket' has so many great things that help make it a great cartoon. Popeye has great comic timing and easy to like, count me in as another person who actually felt sorry for him by the end of the cartoon. The wordplay and dialogue are very clever and one is not left stone-faced. Mercer, as aforementioned, cannot be faulted with the voice work, mumblings and asides have seldom been funnier.
Morever, the animation is very good, simple but has some nice detail in the backgrounds, the shading is crisp and the character designs are far from ugly or off. The inventive reaction shots, like a number of Popeye cartoons, make for great viewing. Even better is the music (always important for me to talk about and Popeye cartoons always fared very well in this respect), again lush and cleverly orchestrated and doing so well adding to and enhancing the action. The gags are a sizable amount and they do work thanks to crisp timing and creative visuals. The haughty woman character is hilarious and certainly did not expect the ending.
In conclusion, absolutely a winner. 9/10.