Some of this isn't new, let's get that out of the way. Many of us know that Ozzy "John" Osbourne came out of dirt poor beginnings in a suburb of Birmingham and had little choice with his life but either work at a factory or become a rock and roll star, so he chose the latter. But as a child with dyslexia and a crippling level of insecurities, he went to drugs and alcohol - LOTS and LOTS of em (he could arguably be one of the only people to go head to head with Keith Richards as far as famous British rock Gods on substances) - and yet kept on with being a major figure in Black Sabbath and his solo years from 1980 onward. He continues, against all odds and some common sense perhaps, to tour to this day.The documentary, co-produced by Ozzy's son Jack, is flattering on some levels (if nothing else about his stature in the industry and his legions of fans), but it also is absorbing because it shows all of the darkness that he had. And, more importantly (or concurrently), the loss that he had to endure: his first wife and set of kids after a harsh divorce, the passing of his father, the still shocking passing of guitarist Randy Rhodes, and that loss translated into a sense of self-worth. The film is in praise of the man because, despite ALL that he did, including what should have been unforgivable acts against his family (one story involving his wife Sharon shocks me now more than when I first heard it in the Behind the Music special), he kept on going, trying to sober, but never quite getting there - till his kids intervened in the best and worst ways.I won't say you'll get anything mind-blowingly revelatory (then again this is a shorter cut than what is available elsewhere, i.e. Argentina has a 2 hour version), but it moves at a great pace, uses Ozzy on tour and his own mixed feelings about that as a backbone for the rest of the main story, and of course some of it by its sheer outrageousness is very funny. But some of the things in the film, mostly about the TV show the Osbournes, I was most happy were kept in the film. I like when a documentary can give a whole different perspective on things, and what seemed like a fun if sometimes odd show like the Osbournes was really a horror show when the cameras were off (or were on, as Jack says there's hours of footage of Ozzy as a full-blown alcoholic). If the show ever comes on TV again, and you watch this film, you won't be able to look at it the same way. That's something special.

"True Feature Doc Filmmaking is a dying art-form! That is; "To be completely and remain middle ground in your perspective of your subject matter. "In other words, to tell the whole story even if it means negative publicity! The way I see "God Bless Ozzy Osbourne" is that it had a better chance if you titled it: "God Damn Ozzy Osbourne". The A-Typical rock star sex-drugs and rock & roll abound without us really getting inside and knowing anything more about this person than what is easily found already in the media. That is sad because Ozzy narrates well and tell his side of each life-changing event. But we are left empty in the end. Its not a narrative on Drug Abuse, its not a narrative on making millions in a heavy metal band and rising to the top and it most certainly is not a narrative about the demons that can affect all of us with too much fame and fortune. That is what the Filmmaker set out to make I'm sure and totally fails at doing so. Instead we end up with a family produced video that looks like a reality TV show. I was totally disappointed but I'm still happy that Ozzy is now sober and drug-free and quite frankly looks great! Lest to say for this Film, sorry to say.

God Bless Ozzy Osbourne (2011) *** 1/2 (out of 4)Very good documentary on the life and times of Ozzy Osbourne who is certainly one of a kind. The film covers Ozzy's early days growing up poor and follows him to Black Sabbath, the fame, the drugs, the partying, the solo career and of course his comeback, which itself had many highs and lows. GOD BLESS OZZY OSBOURNE is an appropriate title because if you know anything about the madman then it's really amazing that he survived the 70s. The documentary uses behind the scenes footage mixed in with both past and present interviews as well as news footage. All of this is perfectly mixed together and in the end you really get a great idea of who Ozzy is and why he did some of the crazy stuff that he did. The majority of the running time deals with the craziness, which of course means a lot of wild pranks, drugs and alcohol. There's no question that all of these stories are used for entertainment because as sad as it might be to see a father neglect his children, the crazy lifestyle Ozzy was leading just puts a smile on your face because he survived it all. Had Ozzy died then it's doubtful these same stories would have been as amusing as they are today. We get interviews with his family, friends and fellow musicians who all tell their stories of what Ozzy means to them. At just 91-minutes the documentary goes through pretty much every stone leading up to the musicians current state.

The only other review (at the time I'm writing this) sums this movie up quite well, but I'll try to add just a little in the form of a different perspective. To start off with, I'm not an avid Ozzy fan, I have and do still enjoy several of the classics like paranoid and crazy train on occasion; so yeah I think people who aren't big fans may enjoy this movie, I sure did.The movie has a nice balance of the musical background and home/family/party/everyday life. There is a lot about the struggles Ozzy dealt with throughout his life. The drug and alcohol abuse is confronted head on, and really gives the viewer a unique insight. Ozzy truly seems to be one of a kind. I found the part about The Osborne's show particularly interesting. It made me think of the show differently. ...Trying not to give away any spoilers. I'm sure many people already knew what I didn't. The part I found interesting is the comments made about how the outside viewer may say or think that Ozzy's actions and behaviour on the show was 'cute' or 'funny', but really it was quite 'sad'.I have much more respect and empathy for Ozzy and his family after watching this. Though I admit it's not going to make me more of a fan of the music.