"An Unexpected Journey" spends a staggering 40 minutes in the Shire. We visit Bilbo and Frodo, see Bilbo's first meeting with Gandalf, take in the Dwarves' arrival at Bag End, get some hefty plot exposition about Thorin's quest, enjoy a stirring rendition of "Far Over the Misty Mountains Cold," and, finally, watch Bilbo's departure. It's a lot — and the Extended Edition contains even more.
While this doesn't necessarily work in favor of "An Unexpected Journey," it does work in favor of the trilogy as a whole. The first movie's insistence on languishing in the Shire helps contrast Bilbo's comfortable, pleasant home against the high stakes and horrific dangers of the world beyond. When Bilbo tells the Dwarves he misses Bag End, you really believe it. When he returns at the end of "The Battle of the Five Armies," it feels as much of an earned homecoming as that of the Hobbits in "The Return of the King."
Plus, if nothing else, it's wonderful to spend more time in Peter Jackson's Shire, which provides some of the most enjoyable scenes in "The Fellowship of the Ring." This is a colorful, amusing, and beautiful part of Middle-earth, and it's an absolute joy to visit it.
