"35 hours till humanity's destruction... Your feelings will call out a new miracle!"
Ultraman Cosmos Vs Ultraman Justice: The Final Battle is a 2003 tokusatsu film produced by Tsuburaya, the third theatrical spinoff film starring Ultraman Cosmos and a sequel to Ultraman Cosmos 2: The Blue Planet. Ultraman Justice from the previous film returns as well, but his role in the movie is not what the audience would expect...
When the Earth is enjoying peace and harmony, the question on co-existance between humans and kaijus are still being debated. As a response, Team EYES decide to transport the kaijus living on Kapuya Island to Planet Juran, where they may co-exist in a utopia far from humans. However, a sudden invasion from a group of giant robots targeting the rockets meant to transport the kaijus interrupts the dreams of a potential utopia, and when Ultraman Cosmos attempt to stop the robot invasion, the return of Cosmos' ally and mentor, Ultraman Justice, unveils a horrifying new conspiracy that puts the future existence of humanity in limbo.
This is the third and last installment of a series known by fans as the Cosmos trilogy, although Cosmos does make a grand return to the franchise 9 years later in Ultraman Saga.
Tropes regarding characters from the movie are already documented on the series' regular character pages.
Ultraman Cosmos Vs Ultraman Justice: The Final Battle provides examples of the following tropes:
- Alien Among Us: Julie, Ultraman Justice’s host, is stated to be a Human Alien from another planet. This was later retconned into being Justice's human form.
- Apocalypse Anarchy: After Ultraman Cosmos gets defeated and seemingly killed in the opening scene, and Ultraman Justice (in the human form of Julie) announced that all life on earth will be wiped out in less than 2 days, we cut to a punk band "celebrating" the imminent extinction of humanity.
- The Atoner: Ultraman Justice, after his Heel Realization, tries to defend humanity from the Gloker invasion and ultimate extinction, even coming close to sacrificing himself.
- Back for the Finale: Many characters from the previous films and the series return for this film.
- Became Their Own Antithesis: Ultraman Justice believes there is no hope left in humanity, and humans should be driven to extinction, to the point of willing to kill off Ultraman Cosmos to facilitate the Gloker invasion. In the end of the movie, he realized the flaws in his own beliefs and there is hope left in humanity, at which point he personally destroys the Gloker Rook, saves as many humans as he can by taking the rest of the battle into the stratosphere, and attempt to sacrifice his own life so that the Gloker Mother couldn’t wipe out all life on Earth, he is only saved by Cosmos coming back to life and saving him
- Behemoth Battle: There’s one partway into the film, between the invading Gloker army, and kaijus from the series that Cosmos saved in the past, which returned to defend the humans and their home from the invaders.
- The Cavalry: Just when all hope seems lost for EYES, when the Glokers are about to destroy the city, many of the kaiju that Cosmos befriended (specifically Don Ron, Lidorias, Golmede and Bolgils) arrive to fight off the invaders in the latter's absence due to his death. They prove strong enough to defeat the initial Glokers but are nearly killed and forced to retreat once the stronger versions come in.
- Cavalry Betrayal: In the opening fight scene, Ultraman Cosmos had destroyed one of the Glokers, and have defeated another two, at which point Ultraman Justice descends from the heavens… to revive the two defeated Glokers and assist them in attacking Cosmos and killing him to get him out of their way in destroying Earth.
- Chess Motifs: The invading robots sent by Universal Justice, called Glokers. Which can be classified as Gloker Pawns, Gloker Rooks, and Gloker Mother/Bishops.
- Clap Your Hands If You Believe: How Ultraman Cosmos and Musashi are brought back from the dead.
- Darker and Edgier: Like the previous film, this one raises the stakes even higher, with Ultraman Cosmos seemingly killed by his friend, Ultraman Justice, right at the start, and Justice (temporarily) no longer an ally.
- Disney Death:
- Ultraman Cosmos succumbs to the combined attacks from Ultraman Justice and two Glokers, before dissipating into light particles, but he does get brought back before the finale.
- In the climax, both Ultraman Cosmos and Ultraman Justice gets disintegrated in their futile attempts to stop Giga Endra's final attack from wiping out all life on Earth. However, the light particles which the Ultras are made of then merges together into a new hero called Ultraman Legend.
- Double-Meaning Title: Despite the title, Cosmos and Justice only faced of once where Justice quickly dispose of his former ally. In spite of that the title can also refer to the conflicts in Julie/Justice of whether to go along with the human eradication plan or stand against it, which is something that Cosmos/Musashi would have wanted. Near then end, she chooses the latter..
- Disproportionate Retribution: Ultraman Cosmos tries to talk some sense into Ultraman Justice, his alleged friend, when Justice arrives to herald the end of all life on Earth, fully convinced to help the Delaxion. For trying to oppose him, Justice helps the Gloker to kill off Cosmos... Though he presumably came to regret it later on once he had his Heel Realization.
- Doomsday Clock: 35 hours, to be precise. As the film approaches its climax every now and then captions in the movie will remind us how long do we have until humanity's extinction.
- Easily Forgiven: Ultraman Cosmos does forgive Justice a little bit too easily for launching an invasion that devastated of all Earth, trying to wipe out all life on Earth, and killing him just for trying to talk some sense into Justice. It does help that Justice legitimately believed he was doing the right thing and risked his life against the Glokers once he saw that nothing he was doing was right.
- The End of the World as We Know It: Earth have an expiration period of 35 hours, and Ultraman Justice will see to it that nothing can stop it!
- Fighting Your Friend: The main premise of the movie, as Justice supports the Delaxion's genocide on Earth out of a belief that all of its inhabitants will become threats to the Universe, influenced by his mistake with Sandros, while Cosmos opposes him. At the end Justice realizes Cosmos was right and atones for his crimes by fighting off his former commanders.
- Fusion Dance:
- When the Glokers are on the losing side thanks to kaijus on the side of humans thwarting their invasion, two remaining Glokers merges themselves into the far more powerful Gloker Rook.
- In their last-ditch attempt to prevent Giga Endra from wiping out all life on Earth, Ultraman Cosmos and Ultraman Justice combine themselves into an all-new, powerful warrior, Ultraman Legend. And successfully destroys Endra, saving all of humanity. Played With in that All There in the Manual materials and Ultra Galaxy Fight: The Absolute Conspiracy state Legend is less the fusion of the two of them and more Legend is their true form and the two of them are a fission of him..
- God of Light: Ultraman Legend, the fused form of Cosmos and Justice is this to Cosmos' universe, regarded as the God of the Universe and considered the most powerful being in existence. Their main powers are light related just like its components.
- Henshin Hero: Musashi Haruno and Justice’s host (actually their human form), Julie.
- The Horseshoe Effect: Ultraman Justice’s reasoning for assisting Universal Justice to wipe out all life on Earth, is that in the future Earth will become a threat to peace in the galaxy… so he instead decides to launch an invasion that would condemn millions of innocent lives on Earth, making himself a greater threat to life than any Earthlings could achieve, he eventually comes to realize this and decides to atone for his crimes.
- Just Before the End: A countdown for the remaining lifespan of the human race – 35 hours – begins early in the film, and the entirety of the movie revolves around Team EYES’ and the United Nations’ attempts to stop it.
- Kaiju: Don Ron, Lidorias, Bolgils and Golmede all return in a heroic role to fight off the Glokers. Likewise, a plot of the film involves EYES transporting all the Kaiju to Planet Juran for them to live in peace.
- Knight Templar: Regardless of Ultraman Justice’s reasoning for his actions, how do you even justify agreeing to take the side of an invasion force that intends to erase the entire human population, and have probably cause millions of deaths and untold amounts in damages by unleashing their Mechanical Monster army on humanity?
- Mecha-Mook: The Glokers, which attacks in groups of up to three at a time. Individually they’re not that much of a threat, but when remaining Glokers decide to perform their Fusion Dance into Gloker Rooks…
- Mysterious Waif: Julie, the human form of Justice, who came seemingly out of nowhere but is present every time a Gloker invasion occurred.
- The Needs of the Many: The MO behind why Ultraman Justice decide to facilitate the eventual destruction of mankind, and replace the Earthling population with a new species that will be more acceptable to other planets.
- Not Brainwashed: Seeing the title would have the audience believe that one of the Ultras – most likely Justice – is probably brainwashed and is serving the side of evil, and its up to the other Ultra to bring them back to the side of good after defeating them. Surprise surprise, the instigator of all the destruction is Ultraman Justice, and he’s very well aware of his actions… And come to regret them severely once he realizes the actual magnitude of them and the many innocent lives that will be lost.
- Nuclear Option: The last choice the United Nations have to take, in a last-ditch attempt to destroy the Glokers before it could destroy humanity. It didn’t work.
- Our Hero Is Dead: Ultraman Cosmos, and Musashi, gets defeated and most likely killed right after being hit by Ultraman Justice’s energy beam right at the start of the movie. They get better and Justice fills in for them after his own Heel Realization.
- Pet the Dog: A rather literal example, but Ultraman Justice/Julie show that they have had their Heel Realization after saving a puppy trapped under rubble, right after witnessing a little girl crying for it.
- Reentry Scare: This actually happens to Ultraman Justice right in the end of the climax, using his body as a shield against friction while both Justice and Cosmos gets pushed backwards, so that Ultraman Cosmos can hold back Giga Endra's planet-annihilating beam headed for Earth. To the point that we can actually see bits of flesh being shredded off the Ultra's body...
- Shout-Out:
- When Julie gets cornered by a group of biker punks, she flips into the air and did a Spin Attack and kicks every single one of them in their faces, much like Neo in the burly brawl scene of The Matrix Reloaded.
- The final battle scene where the EYES pilots take the battle into space, attempting to attack the ring-shaped interior of Giga Endra, seems reminiscent of The Phantom Menace.
- Spoiler Cover: Wait is that Cosmos and Justice in a new form? Wait is that a new Ultraman? Who will it be?
- Stealth Hi/Bye: Musashi / Ultraman Cosmos and Julie / Ultraman Justice met each other for the first time where she questions Cosmos’ reasoning for taking the side of humans. Just as Musashi is pondering her question, Julie walks behind another pedestrian and promptly vanishes.
- Stock Footage: From the TV series and the previous two movies can be seen, when Musashi's friends remember their fond memories of him in order to bring him (and Ultraman Cosmos) back from the dead.
- Swirly Energy Thingy: The Universal Justice sends their fleet from one of these into our world, and in the end of the movie when they decide to spare humanity, they leave through one of these as well.
- Versus Title
- We Named the Monkey "Jack": One of the Recurring Extra in the movie is a little girl Julie befriended, who named her puppy Cosmos after the eponymous Ultraman.
- When She Smiles: Julie is pretty much The Stoic throughout the film, remaining completely emotionless even when observing the destruction caused by the Glokers, but eventually after her Heel–Face Turn at the end of the film she finally cracked a small smile.
- Worf Barrage: The United Nations attempts to repel the Universal Justice invasion by sending nuclear missiles and laser-mounted satellites to blast them out of orbit. It didn’t work.
