Starting and stopping a GIF in presentation mode

Fairly way to stop a GIF:

Add the animated GIF

Exactly atop it, add a non-animated version of the same GIF (ie, open the GIF in an image editor and save it as e.g. PNG; use that).

Apply an appear or other animation to the PNG.

Set it to trigger on click of the original, animated GIF.

That'll get you a one-time animate then stop action.

Now the sly bit:

Add a new blank slide just before this one.

Set its transition to 0 seconds duration, After: 0:00 seconds.

Now add an action setting to the non-animated GIF; have it link to the blank slide.

NOW: You get to the slide with the animated GIF, it plays immediately.

When you get bored, click it; the unanimated version appears.

When that gets boring, click the unanimated version.

That takes you to the previous slide but because of its transition settings, it immediately jumps ahead (to your slide with the GIFs); it happens so fast that you don't even see it. Magic.

Problem solved, I think.