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It's no overstatement to say that Back To The Beginning was the biggest metal gig of all time. From 21st Century stars (Mastodon, Gojira, Halestorm) to best-selling metal giants (Metallica, Guns N' Roses, Slayer, Anthrax), it was a huge celebration of heavy metal over the past half century, all topped off by the final performances from Ozzy Osbourne and all four original members of Black Sabbath.
With the show getting a livestream - handy as all 44,000 tickets for Villa Park sold out in minutes - it was never a question that the day would eventually be transported to the big screen, but what form it would take. Now we have an answer.
Across two and a half hours, we're treated to performances by every band and musician who played that historic gig. And, with this being a celebration of Ozzy and Black Sabbath, naturally the song choices all err towards the covers each band contributed on the day.
But here's the thing. Whether you watched it at home or managed to bag tickets to be there in person, nothing can prepare you for the emotional tsunami this movie provokes. Exultation, excitement, bittersweetness... It's a full emotional gauntlet across the two and a half hour run-time, knowing as we do that Ozzy would pass away just 17 days after making his final performance.
But it can't overshadow the triumph of the day. Presented in non-linear order, we hit the ground running with victorious image of Ozzy Osbourne rising from beneath the stage in his throne as footage from Ozzy's history plays out and we see fans visibly weeping before he's sung a note of I Don't Know.
The "documentary" footage is kept fairly light throughout, focusing largely on the importance of the gig and how it came together rather than Ozzy's struggles leading up to the big day (which have already been covered in documentaries like No Escape From Now and Sharon And Ozzy Osbourne: Coming Home). Performances are, as you'd expect, stellar. Mastodon prove an early highlight with a thumping cover of Supernaut, complete with an extended drum solo featuring Gojira's Mario Duplantier, Tool's Danny Carey and Slipknot's Eloy Casagrande, while Randy Blythe can't resist dropping some guttural snarls into Lamb Of God's take on Children Of The Grave and Lzzy Hale gives an almighty howl on Perry Mason.
It's those moments that really sell just how momentous this show was, the musicians involved unable to resist getting swept up in the excitement of it all. Every time it cuts to the crowd, we're shown scenes of emotional overload, joyous howling giving way to folks weeping openly during any of the sections where Ozzy or Sabbath are performing.
"I fucking love you all!"
The main man himself feels larger than life even in his final performance. Confined to his throne though he may be, Ozzy repeatedly jumps in the seat and can't stop shouting out to the crowd as the set unfolds, communicating just how much music - and the audience of millions who love him for his contributions to it - mean to him.
After the sheer emotional climax of seeing Black Sabbath perform together for the final time, there could be no question on what the final song of the movie could be: 1991 ballad Mama I'm Coming Home bringing everything to a bawl-your-eyes-out crescendo that'll honestly send chills up your spine as the shots of fireworks over Villa Park fade to a huge floral display for Ozzy in Birmingham city centre. But the movie's not quite over yet. A postscript shares about Ozzy's passing after the show, and we're treated to a clip of Ozzy with a very young Jack Osbourne after his "final" concert back in the 90s when he temporarily retired from music.
"You know, over the years I've made a lot of people happy. But I've sure made a lot of people's heads turn."
The metal world exists as a result. So, amen and God Bless Ozzy Osbourne.
Ozzy & Black Sabbath: Back To The Beginning is out in cinemas now. The movie is also being released on formats including 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, CD, and vinyl, as well as digitally on December 11th.
