Whenever a movie about a comic book hero is released, real die-hard fans of the character pray that those behind the film stick to the character’s true origin and storyline. In some cases, like 2002’s Spider-Man, they did – and in other cases, like last year’s Catwoman starring Halle Berry – they didn’t even come close. But with the release of Batman Begins, I can say, as a die-hard and religious Batman fan – that the producers of the film get a near perfect score.

Not even comparable to the previous five movies, which were released in 1966, 1989, 1992, 1995 and 1997 and were nothing but campy, dragged out Saturday morning cartoons, this movie shows Batman as The Dark Knight that he really is – and takes us not through mundane criminal city-destroying antics as its predecessors – but through Bruce Wayne’s transformation into the legendary hero that has always been.

It was midnight last night when I reached the peak of my frustration in not seeing the movie – so I downloaded it – and stayed up until 2:30am absolutely glued to my computer screen. I was amazed by the darkness of the film – and how they got his beginnings nearly on the money. From the death of his parents, to his discovery of the Batcave – to his hunger to fight injustice in the name of his fallen parents – I must have thanked the creators of the film at least a dozen times while watching it. There were a few incorrect threads in the storyline, like the fact that Dr. Jonathan Crane, aka Scarecrow, did not run Arkham Asylum, the fact that it was not Ra’s Al Ghul who trained him to become Batman, and the fact that Lucius Fox did not supply Batman with his gadgets – but the rest of the film’s accuracy made up for its few inconsistencies.

Even the casting of the film was brilliant. Christian Bale, who I have only seen in 2000’s American Psycho, was the perfect Bruce Wayne/Batman. The way he carried both characters was done better than anyone else who ever wore the mantle of the Bat. Michael Caine, who played Alfred, honestly makes you believe that his love for Bruce is more parental than simply servitude. Even Liam Neeson, who is revealed to be the real Ra’s Al Ghul later in the film, was very Qui-Gon-esque while training young master Bruce to become the Caped Crusader. And Morgan Freeman’s job as Lucius Fox, Wayne’s trusted advisor – was a natural for the talented actor. I was unsure about Cillian Murphy in the Dr. Crane/Scarecrow role – but I have to admit that he pulled it off quite well.

My biggest accolades with regard to this film go to writer David Goyer, who wrote such a fine film because, as he said in a recent interview – he always wanted to make a Batman film. “I’d told my mother when I was a little kid, ‘I’m gonna grow up one day and make movies and make a Batman movie,’” he said. “And I was kind of disappointed when the previous Batman films came out because I thought, ‘oh well, there goes my shot.’ So this was the opportunity I had always waited for.”

The end of the film left me satisfied with Bruce Wayne’s accurate evolution from billionaire playboy to costumed hero – and hungry for the sequel that they leave open by revealing the existence of another of Batman’s arch enemies. I was also left with a feeling of excitement that a movie about my favorite comic book character was released that finally did him justice. I guess the sixth time’s the charm.

I only hope that 2006’s Superman Returns will be as exciting – and accurate.