the use of picture boxes and .gif form objects vs. java-style paint() and draw(): which is better?

Question

hi everyone. i'm currently pursuing my thesis, which is in its early stages. for our early game prototype (an RPG in the vein of ultima) we used picture boxes and a custom .dll to allow the use of animated GIF files in the same way as normal JPEGS and BMPS. however, the system functioned particularly slowly without us having any idea why. we also stumbled upon a tutorial on .NET's ThreadPool stuff that reminded us of Java paint and repaint methods used in graphical applications. for the length of time we have on our hands, either this or the use of the previously mentioned form objects is the way to go. we'd like to know which is better to solve the speed issue? what could be the possible cause for the slowness of the graphics? any possible solutions? thanks. :)